Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Tuesday night lashed out at the Philippine National Police and other security personnel deployed outside the Senate building after a crowd of protesters surrounded and attacked his vehicle as he was attempting to leave the premises.
In a Facebook post, Sotto said he was “furious and disappointed” with the PNP and security forces for failing to control what he described as a “rowdy and unruly crowd,” which he said assaulted him while he remained inside his vehicle.
“The barbaric protesters banged my vehicle repeatedly, threw bottles and cursed foul remarks,” Sotto wrote. “They can see that I am driving alone with no bodyguards.”
The senator added a pointed rebuke in Filipino, questioning how such an incident could occur with multiple PNP trucks deployed at the Senate. “Ilang truck na PNP ang nakadeploy sa Senate, tapos ganito?” he wrote. “Ganito na ba kawalang respeto at walanghiya ang mga taga suporta ng ilang Senador na nag rarally ngayong gabi?”
The incident came just one day after one of the most turbulent sessions in recent Senate history. On May 11, Sotto was ousted as Senate president in a surprise leadership coup by senators aligned with detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, with 13 senators voting to declare all Senate positions vacant. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano was elected to replace Sotto after Senator Imee Marcos nominated him for the post.
The upheaval unfolded as supporters of former President Duterte gathered outside the Senate building in Pasay to protest against the ICC arrest warrant issued against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Dela Rosa had been absent from Senate sessions since November 2025 but made a dramatic return on May 11 to cast his vote in the leadership change, with CCTV footage showing him sprinting up a fire exit staircase to evade NBI agents attempting to serve the warrant.
The House of Representatives had voted 257-25 to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time, on charges of misusing confidential funds, bribery, unexplained wealth, and issuing death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. With Cayetano now at the helm of the Senate, he is set to preside over the impeachment court, though he has denied the leadership change was driven by the impeachment case.
The crowd that gathered near the Senate that evening is believed to have been composed of pro-Duterte supporters, consistent with the rallies that took place in the lead-up to and following the Sara Duterte impeachment vote. Sotto’s post implied the protesters were affiliated with senators from that camp, though he stopped short of naming individuals.
It was not immediately clear whether Sotto filed a formal complaint with the PNP or whether any arrests were made in connection with the incident.
