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Sotto 'very confident' with majority bloc's support amid coup rumors

Philippines | National

Sotto 'very confident' with majority bloc's support amid coup rumors

By Dhel Nazario

At A Glance

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III expressed confidence in the majority bloc's support despite coup rumors..

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III remains confident with the support of the majority bloc that put him in the Senate leadership.

Senate President Vicente

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III (Senate PRIB photo)

He said this on Monday, Oct. 6, amid coup rumors that spread over the weekend on social media.

Including Sotto, there are 15 senators in the majority, while there are nine in the minority bloc.

He said in a Viber message that he's "very confident" with the majority bloc's support.

The coup rumors stemmed from Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson's announcement that he's considering stepping down from his position as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

This is also amid Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito's recent pronouncement that he, along with four other senators, considered leaving the Sotto-led majority bloc amid the continuing investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the anomalous Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects.

Ejercito added that they planned to create an independent bloc. He also dismissed rumors on social media regarding an impending Senate coup.

Meanwhile, Sotto said that plenary sessions in the Senate have been suspended since last week until Oct. 10, Friday, due to conflict with budget hearings, which have to stop every 3 p.m.

"There are no immediate legislation in the agenda other than the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) so we deemed it necessary to give way so we can have our committee meetings," he added.

Related Tags

Tito Sotto Senate leadership jv ejercito ping lacson

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