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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Been there, done that': Sotto unfazed by leadership change efforts

'Been there, done that': Sotto unfazed by leadership change efforts

Published Feb 6, 2026 01:13 pm
"Been there, done that."
This is how Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III responded when asked about the foiled attempt to change the leadership in the Upper Chamber recently.
Senate President Vicente
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III (Senate of the Philippines)
In an interview on Friday, Feb. 6, Sotto said that, being in the Senate since 1992, he's already used to this scenario as he experienced it multiple times during his tenure.
"I hate to use the term pero been there, done that, 1992 pa ako dyan (I've been there since 1992)," he said.
"Noong 1992 to 1998, 9th Congress and 10th Congress, 6 na taon yan. Nakaapat na palitan kami. Sanay ako sa palitan eh (From 1992 to 1998, during the 9th and 10th Congresses, that’s six years. We had four leadership changes. I’m already used to leadership reshuffles)," he added.
Sotto had earlier said that the attempted coup had nothing to do with his leadership and had something more to do with the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report and the senators' stance on matters related to China. The minority bloc wanted to seat Senator Loren Legarda as the first woman Senate President.
For him, this move was also triggered by the removal of Senator Imee Marcos from the Committee on Foreign Relations. She was later replaced by Senator Erwin Tulfo.
But Sotto believed that they didn't have the numbers to unseat him.
"As early as the roll call, alam na namin walang numero (we already knew they don't have the numbers) to unseat the leadership. To unseat the leader, you must have 13 votes. The 13 votes you must have it in writing," Sotto explained.
"In fact, hindi pwedeng commitment na salita lang, di pwede yan (the commitment should not be made verbally, that won't work). That is a very dangerous move, mapapahiya ka (you'll end up getting embarrassed)," he added.
He disclosed, however, that the position of Senate President had been offered to Legarda when the 20th Congress opened, but she turned it down.
Meanwhile, Sotto said that a plan to reach out to the minority bloc is not far-fetched but in the sense of combining both the majority and minority.
"Pwede magsama-sama ang minorities dyan, pwedeng mawala yung dividing line. At kasi nag-uusap-uusap din naman kami...it's not far-fetched na pwedeng magsama-sama ang ilan sa mga members ng minority sa majority (“The minorities can band together there; the dividing line could disappear. And since we do talk among ourselves, it’s not far-fetched that some members of the minority could join the majority)," he said.

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Senate President Vicente \"Tito\" Sotto III Senate leadership coup d\'etat majority bloc minority bloc
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