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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 13-strong Senate majority are mostly DDS, says De Lima

13-strong Senate majority are mostly DDS, says De Lima

Published May 12, 2026 11:10 pm

At A Glance

  • On May 12, Rep. Leila de Lima says the new 13-member Senate majority bloc is mostly made up diehard Duterte supporters, noting the leadership change happened alongside the House's impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
  • She questions the timing and intentions of the new Senate majority, stressing the Constitution requires the Senate to accept the articles and convene as an impeachment court without delay.
  • Despite doubts, De Lima expressed hope the Senate will carry out the process in full accordance with the Constitution.
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has described the new Senate majority bloc as mostly DDS, or diehard Duterte supporters.
De Lima gave this candid remark in a chance interview with reporters Tuesday, May 12--a day after a Senate coup d'etat installed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new leader of the 24-member upper chamber.
The peculiar timing of the Senate upheaval wasn't lost on De Lima; after all, it happened on the same day that the other legislative chamber--the House of Representatives--impeached Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time in as many years.
The next step in the impeachment process is for the senators to convene as an impeachment court and try Duterte.
"Of course, it happened (coup) because of the numbers, na nakakuha sila ng 13 (they were able to muster 13 votes). Now, hindi natin maiiwasan magduda o mag-suspect na yun ay may kinalaman sa impeachment (we can't help but have doubts or suspect that the impeachment had something to do with it)," De Lima said.
De Lima said the senators must have known that the 300-plus strong House was poised to impeach the lady official Monday, May 11.
"So they did that, change of leadership. Ano pang ibig sabihin noon? Ano ho ba ang balak nila? Yun po ang tanong natin. Ano ho ba ang balak nila, ng bagong majority sa proseso ng impeachment? Ito ba ay paggugulungin nang malinis at nang maayos? O meron ho silang ibang plano?" the ML Party-list solon wondered.
(What does that mean? What are they planning? That is our question. What are the plans of the new majority in the impeachment process? Will they handle it cleanly and properly? Or do they have another plan?)
"Because as a note, na karamihan ng majority of 13 ngayon, ay mga pro-duterte. Mga die-hard, mga Duterte supporters sila. But of course, hindi ko naman ninalahat. Pero mayroon naman siguro dyan yung moderate lang yung pagiging supporter nila sa mga Duterte," De Lima, herself a former senator, said.
(Most of the current majority of 13 are pro-Duterte. They are die-hard Duterte supporters. But of course, I am not saying all of them. Perhaps some are only moderate in their support for the Dutertes.)
The controversial Duterte was also impeached in 2025; however, then-Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero didn't subscribe to the supposed mandate of an immediate trial against the respondent.
Sotto was thought to be the opposite. But the dynamics at the Senate is now very different post-coup.
"Yun ho ang hinihintay ng taong bayan: what's next? At tatalakay ba kaagad nila yung articles of impeachment once these are transmitted to the Senate. Kasi sa House ita-transmit kaagad yan (articles of impeachment)," De Lima said.
(That is what the people are waiting for: what’s next? And will they immediately take up the articles of impeachment once these are transmitted to the Senate? Because in the House, those will be transmitted right away.)
De Lima expressed her beliefs on what she thinks should happen.
"So ia-accept ba nila kaagad yan, yang articles of impeachment? They have to. Wala silang choice. Magka-convene ba kaagad sila as an impeachment court? Again they have to. Wala nanaman silang choice sa usapin na yan kasi malinaw sa Constitution na trial shall forthwith proceed kapag nandun na sa kanila yung articles of impeachment."
(So will they immediately accept those articles of impeachment? They have to. They have no choice. Will they immediately convene as an impeachment court? Again, they have to. They have no choice in that matter because the Constitution clearly states that the trial shall forthwith proceed once the articles of impeachment are with them.)
Despite the revamped Senate, De Lima said: "Umaasa pa rin tayo na gagawin ng Senado kahit mayroong pagbabago ng liderato, na gagawin ng Senado na ayon lahat sa Saligang Batas."
(We still hope that the Senate, even with the change in leadership, will carry out everything in accordance with the Constitution.)

Related Tags

Leila de Lima DDS senate Impeachment Sara Duterte Alan Peter Cayetano
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