Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Sunday, May 10 confirmed there is indeed a plan to remove him as the Senate leader.

Sotto made the statement just a day after the House of Representatives is set to formally vote on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“I heard. As always, I serve at the pleasure of my peers. I uphold and follow the Constitution! I leave everything to God’s plan. I trust HIS Heart!” Sotto said in a message to reporters.

Talks of a Senate coup was revived during the resumption of the Senate’s session last May 4, after the House Committee on Justice voted to approve the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

The plan to unseat Sotto was allegedly revived by the group of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, with siblings Senators Mark and Camille Villar reportedly being wooed to switch sides.

At least 13 senators are needed to unseat Sotto and eventually lead to the formation of a new majority bloc.

Earlier, Sotto vowed to convene the Senate as an impeachment court once they receive the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte despite some senators vocally promising to oppose “everything” that the majority will do, including the Duterte impeachment trial.

“Based on the Constitution, it’s automatic. That’s our job. No matter what others say, what matters is what the Constitution says: when Articles of Impeachment are received, we convene as an impeachment court,” Sotto said in an interview last week.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, in a DZBB interview this morning, warned that any move that seeks to sabotage public accountability or the constitutional process, would be counterproductive.

“The surveys show, the people are waiting…They also want to hear everything,” he said.

“I was talking to a lot of people…They also want this over and done with. So that if she’s not guilty, then it’s over. The people too want to have an (impeachment) trial,” he said.

Tulfo also said the proponents of a leadership change in the Senate would have to answer a lot to the Filipino public who are also seeking clarity and real answers from the vice president herself.

“That’s very hard…magiging halatang-halata sila pag nagkaroon ng man (ng kudeta), or yung grupo na magi-initiate ng kudeta, halatang-halata (It would be so obvious should there be a coup, or the group that will initiate the coup, they would be so obvious),” said Tulfo.

“How will they explain to the public? Kaya nag coup para di matuloy ang ika nga impeachment (The reason they staged a coup so the impeachment won’t proceed)? That because of the impeachment, kelangan palitan ang leadership (you need to change the leadership)?” he pointed out.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also said he believes the impeachment trial is not a “matter of choice or a change in leadership.”

“It’s a responsibility of the Senate, you cannot sit on a case for a long time, precisely because it is written. The Constitution is very clear that we need to try forthwith, and there’s no other leeway. And this is part of the process and accountability mechanism of the Constitution,” Gatchalian said also in a separate interview on Radio DZBB.

He also said he believes that Sotto remains “on stable ground” despite allegations of Senate coup.

“Personally, I think SP is on stable ground because he is showing the right leadership here especially in times like these,” the senator said.