Newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano wasted no time addressing the theory dominating political conversation Monday: that the sudden ouster of Vicente Sotto III was orchestrated to derail the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I’m not blaming you if you’re saying in the news that this leadership change is about the impeachment. It’s not,” Cayetano said in Filipino during his inaugural address, moments after being elected to the top post by a 13-9 vote.
He went further, pledging that the Senate would carry out its constitutional role as an impeachment court without partisan interference — and drew a hard line on both ends of the spectrum. “The impeachment will be much, much more than dismissing a complaint because of political affiliation. And it is also much, much more than convicting someone without evidence. Parehong hindi pwede ‘yun,” he said. He reminded his colleagues that all eyes would be on them throughout the process. “The process is as important as the result. The Senate is also on trial,” Cayetano added.
The denials, however, did little to quiet the speculation — least of all from Sotto himself, who said there is a “strong possibility” the coup was connected to the looming trial. Had he remained Senate president, Sotto said, he would have moved to convene the chamber as an impeachment court once the articles arrived from the House. That transmittal was set in motion the same day, after the House voted for a second time to impeach Duterte.
The shakeup unfolded rapidly. Sen. Joel Villanueva moved to vacate all leadership positions, Sen. Imee Marcos nominated Cayetano, and Lacson countered by nominating Sotto to retain the presidency. The scales tipped when key senators crossed over, among them Cayetano’s sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, along with Sens. Loren Legarda and Mark and Camille Villar. Even Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who had been absent, appeared for the vote.
The political circumstances surrounding several of those defectors are notable. Legarda’s son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, is embroiled in legal and political disputes with the Marcos administration over business dealings and flood control allegations. The Villar family, meanwhile, faces Department of Justice scrutiny over alleged market manipulation and questionable government infrastructure contracts.
Malacañang offered a measured response. “The Senate has decided its own leadership,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
Sen. Loren Legarda was sworn in as Senate president pro tempore, replacing Lacson. Cayetano, a veteran legislator who previously served as House speaker under the Duterte administration, was serving as Senate president for the first time.
Following the vote, outgoing majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri — who abstained along with Sen. JV Ejercito — announced he would no longer align with any bloc in the chamber.
