SENATE President Vicente Sotto III is not stepping down — at least for now, after the senate majority struck a “power-sharing” deal with Senator Loren Legarda who is set to take his place “in the future.”
According to insiders, the senate minority group’s plan to boot out Sotto and elect Legarda was already a “done deal” but a long after break during the afternoon session proved more than enough for the majority to sway Legarda to their side.
Legarda sat in a meeting with Sotto and other majority senators. Sen. Francis Pangilinan even posted a photo on Facebook with the caption “Powersharing” with the emoji of the Philippine flag.
Beaming their faces on the photo were Legarda who sat beside Sotto, Pangilinan, Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian.
When the session resumed, Legarda sat at the rostrum to the shock of everyone expecting her election as Senate President by acclamation already.
Then, Zubiri moved for adjournment, but not before teasing Legarda by calling her “Madam President.”
Only the senators in the photo returned to the session, while the minority was nowhere to be seen.
Following the adjournment, Sotto confirmed talks of the term-sharing agreement — “We plan on placing Sen. Loren (as Senate President) before the 20th Congress ends,” Sotto told reporters.
Sotto however declined to say as to when he would relinquish the senate presidency to Legarda who is poised to become the first female Senate President in the chamber’s 109-year history.
