Alan Cayetano says no leadership change in Senate before session adjourns

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said that no changes in the Senate leadership is expected before the adjournment of session on Friday for the Undas break.

At a press conference, Cayetano denied that there is a resolution currently being circulated seeking to replace Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as Senate President.

“Wala… I don’t think so. I think birthday na handa ni Senator Escudero,” Cayetano told reporters, noting that it is Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s birthday on October 10.

Just last month, Sotto replaced Escudero as Senate president after the position was declared vacant in the plenary, with no senator opposing the move.

The majority bloc is now composed of 15 members, while the Cayetano-led minority bloc has nine members, which includes the so-called Duterte bloc. The latter only needs the support of at least four more senators for a possible shakeup.

Cayetano, however, said that there is no active “courting” of colleagues to join them.

“Walang active ano ngayon, but if it falls on our lap, sumama ‘yung iba, etc. Kung oposisyon, you always want to be administrasyon. Kung minority ka, you always want to be majority,” he said.

(There is nothing active courting right now, but if it falls on our lap, or others join us, [then so be it]. If you are in [the] opposition, you always want to be in [the] administration. If you're a minority, you always want to be the majority.)

“But I really think right now, it’s more of our supporters. Vigilant ang supporters ni Senator Sotto and the majority na ‘wag silang mapalitan kasi they believe in what they're doing. Pero very enthusiastic, active ang supporters ng minority dahil naniniwala din sila na may magagawa kaming mabuti,” he added.

(But I really think right now, it's more of our supporters. The supporters of Senator Sotto and the majority are vigilant not to get replaced because they believe in what they're doing. But the supporters of the minority are also very enthusiastic, active because they also believe that we can do something good.)

Sotto on Monday expressed confidence that he still has the support of majority of senators amid reports that some are planning to leave the majority bloc. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News