Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is back as Senate President after securing the support of a majority of his colleagues, effectively removing Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero from the chamber’s top post.
Sotto announced on Monday that he received 15 votes, marking his return to the position he once held from 2018 to 2022. His comeback comes at a time of heightened controversy over the alleged misuse of billions in public funds.
Escudero has been at the center of mounting criticism following accusations that he inserted ₱142.7 billion worth of projects into the proposed 2025 national budget. He has denied the allegations but admitted during past disclosures that a flood control contractor contributed ₱30 million to his 2022 Senate campaign.
The leadership shakeup follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s public condemnation of what he described as the “worst scandal” to strike his administration — the flood control project controversy that has cast a shadow over the Senate’s credibility.
