Newly elected senators visit Senate for orientation, photoshoot

Several senators-elect who won in the 2025 midterm polls went to the Senate on Thursday for their orientation and photoshoot ahead of the opening of the 20th Congress.

Among those who visited the Senate for a pictorial session were comebacking senators Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, and Panfilo "Ping" Lacson. 

Representatives Erwin Tulfo, Rodante Marcoleta, and Camille Villar also dropped by.

Pangilinan, who recently took his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, said he was "happy and excited" to return to the upper chamber to serve his fourth six-year term.

"Okay naman. Siyempre dahil medyo surprising o 'yung ating pagkapanalo in terms of number 5, it was a hard-fought… campaign. Pero despite the odds, we won. So it's a sweet return," he said. 

(My victory, when I landed in Top 5, was a bit surprising. It was a hard-fought... campaign. But despite the odds, we won. So it's a sweet return.)

Pangilinan said he has yet to discuss with Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senator-elect Bam Aquino the composition of the minority bloc in the 20th Congress. 

Brothers at work

Meanwhile, Erwin Tulfo said he is also excited to work at the Senate and serve alongside his brother, Senator Raffy Tulfo. 

"It's about work. Well, they said, my brother said, Raffy said, it's less like Congress. Legislation, pero siyempre [but of course] this is a much bigger scope, this is nationwide. So, of course, excited and I really want to get going," he told reporters. 

Sotto, a veteran lawmaker, said he is "looking forward to trying to get back to the old feel of the Senate." He also expects his fellow senators to uphold the integrity and reputation of the Senate. 

Impeachment trial

With regard to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Sotto said he disagrees with the move of the Senate impeachment court to return the articles of impeachment back to the House of Representatives. 

"Right now, lahat 'yan up in the air. Hindi ko kasi alam kung anong plano nila eh. Hindi kami part of the 19th Congress. Mahirap din naman magbigay ng komentaryo tungkol sa impeachment itself o sa mga procedures na dapat gawin," said Sotto, who had previously served as Senate president. 

(Right now, that's all up in the air. I don't know what their plans are. We're not part of the 19th Congress. It's also difficult to comment on the impeachment itself or the procedures that should be done.) 

For his part, Pangilinan said he believes that the impeachment case may cross over from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress as the Senate is a continuing body. 

"Ang tungkulin natin is to try and decide the case. Kung walang ebidensya o kulang ang ebidensya, hindi sapat, acquittal. Kung sapat naman ang ebidensya, conviction. So we have to go through the process," he said.

(Our responsibility is to try and decide the case. If the evidence is lacking, then it's an acquittal. If there's sufficient evidence, conviction. So we have to go through the process.)

Tulfo also believes that it is up to the 20th Congress to decide on the impeachment trial, even as he expressed belief that it should push through.

"Kung ako ang tatanungin personally, why not? If the VP is not guilty, then so be it, let's dismiss the case. Bakit natin pipilitin kung hindi siya guilty," he said.

(If you would ask me personally, why not? If the VP is not guilty, then so be it, let's dismiss the case. Why should we insist if she’s not guilty?)

Tulfo, a first-time senator, also said he is also studying the impeachment proceedings as part of his preparations once he sits as a senator-judge in the trial. 

He also believes that House members will refile the impeachment complaint. 

"I think that the House will really refile it. That's what I heard from my colleagues. They'll refile it with 20th Congress," the younger Tulfo said.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, voted 18-5 to return Duterte's case to the House of Representatives without dismissing or terminating it.

The House impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The articles of impeachment were transmitted to the Senate on the same day, but the upper chamber adjourned without tackling the impeachment case.

Duterte is accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. She has denied the allegations leveled against her. — VDV, GMA Integrated News