Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said senators are considering electing Senator Loren Legarda as the first woman Senate president toward the end of the 20th Congress.

In an interview, Sotto clarified that the idea is not a term-sharing arrangement following a foiled coup attempt to change the leadership in the Upper Chamber.

According to Sotto, the discussion about Legarda assuming the Senate presidency began as a joke by Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and later evolved into a serious idea among senators.

“So hindi exactly term-sharing yan (It's not exactly term-sharing),” Sotto said, explaining that traditional term-sharing would involve fixed or equal periods.

“Ang tamang (correct) term is we plan to make her Senate president towards the end of her term, end of 20th Congress,” he added.

Sotto said the plan would come after the passage of the 2027 budget, placing Legarda’s potential election sometime in 2028, before the end of her term. Sotto said the idea was partly driven by some senators, particularly from the minority, who wanted Legarda to assume the post.

In a separate interview, Legarda said that she has no idea of such a discussion and that she would have to confirm this with Sotto.

He said the foiled coup attempt to unseat him was not caused by any issue with his leadership, adding that it involved the discontent among minority senators over the Blue Ribbon Committee report and issues with China.

He said that after suspending plenary session before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, senators agreed to hold informal discussions. He said Senator Loren egarda requested an audience with him at the Senators’ Lounge, where members were free to join.

Sotto said he did not stay long at the lounge because members of the minority had also requested to speak with him, prompting him to return to his office. There, he said, one or two minority senators aired their concerns.

While he was meeting the minority, Sotto said Legarda briefed members of the majority on developments from earlier discussions held the previous day and that morning.

“Apparently, di maiwasan ang may mga gripes ang ibang members ng minority kaya pinakinggan lang namin (Apparently, some members of the minority had grievances that couldn’t be avoided, so we just listened to them),” Sotto said.

Asked if certain senators felt sidelined, Sotto said this could be possible but stressed that such situations were rare. He added that based on what they heard, the problem did not involve the Senate President himself.

Sotto said some senators felt they were being targeted by the Blue Ribbon Committee report, which recommended the filing of cases against sitting senators. Others questioned why senators were under scrutiny when, according to them, there were worse ones in the House of Representatives.

Asked whether the Blue Ribbon report was the main factor behind the supposed leadership challenge, Sotto said it was not exactly the case. He cited other issues, including the removal of Senator Imee Marcos as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

He also pointed to differences between the majority and minority blocs on China-related matters, saying the minority’s position tended to be more favorable to China.

The majority, he said, wanted to adopt what he described as “undiplomatic criticism” of Chinese officials.

“We have freedom of expression. Ano gusto natin sabihin tungkol sa kanila o tungkol sa official nila, may karapatan tayong sabihin yan (What we want to say about them or about their officials—we have the right to say that),” Sotto said, adding that some senators appeared overly sensitive to criticism of Chinese officials.

Sotto said he still had the support of 15 senators and expressed confidence that no leadership change would occur.

"Sapagkat, alam naman natin na ang unang mangyayari dyan, dapat yan kung mangyayari yan, yan eh meron nang ika nga’y nagpunta sa akin kahapon, para ipakita sa akin na may nakapirma ng 13 o mahigit 13 (Because, as we all know, the first thing that would have to happen—if that were really going to happen—is that someone would have come to me yesterday to show that there were 13 or more signatures)," Sotto said.

"Yan ang formula. Wala naman (That's the formula. But there was none)," he said.

Sotto added that there was no indication of such a move again next week. He also said there was a possibility of inviting some minority senators to support the majority’s legislative agenda or even join the majority bloc.

Asked what would be offered in exchange, Sotto said there was none, noting that both majority and minority members already had committee assignments.

“Ako ang Senate President na tabla lahat (I am a Senate President who treats everyone equally),” he said, stressing equal treatment of senators regardless of bloc affiliation.