SENATE President Tito Sotto III faced an ouster plot soon after announcing his plan to run for vice president in tandem with Senator Panfilo Lacson in the 2022 national elections.
Lacson said the Senate President himself informed him about a brewing leadership coup plot, citing tips that an ouster resolution is now being circulated for senators’ signature and was planned to be formalized when plenary sessions resume on Monday (July 26).
Sotto, however, has given assurances he is ready to step down from the top Senate post as soon as he formally files his candidacy in October, indicating there was no need for the senators plotting his ouster to produce the numbers needed to install a new leadership.
At the same time, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri in a radio interview played down talk of leadership change as something that is “common just before a Sona [State of the Nation Address of the President before a joint session of Congress],” but added he is certain that Sotto will remain Senate President.
Reports reaching Senate sources indicated that the current leadership had already affirmed they expected such a plot to be formalized soon as Sotto formally declares his candidacy for vice president.
According to Lacson, the ouster plot being hatched by some allies in the majority bloc is likely still having difficulty mustering 13 votes. He, however, declined to name the senators seeking Sotto’s early ouster, even as they assured they are not taking this against their colleagues, as a leadership change is “part of democracy.”
At the same time, Lacson affirmed he and Sotto “will not fail the Filipino people.”
Lacson said this is their rallying cry as they “seek to restore Filipinos’ trust in the government.”
“I will not fail you. I will not fail the Filipino people. We will not fail you. This is our last hurrah in public service, there is no room for selfish interests or personal motives,” Lacson said in an interview on DWIZ radio Saturday.
“We have no other agenda. Considering our age and track record in public service, we have something to offer the Filipino people,” he added. Butch Fernandez