Sotto: Majority senators foiled Senate coup

The Senate majority foiled an attempt to unseat Senate President Vicente Sotto III, the Senate leader told reporters on Wednesday.

In an ambush interview, Sotto was asked if he thwarted an attempt on his leadership. 

"It was the majority," Sotto told reporters.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson previously revealed that attempts were made to offer the Senate presidency to Senator Loren Legarda.

Sotto denied a power-sharing plan with Senator Loren Legarda amid rumors of a possible leadership change and after Senator Kiko Pangilinan posted a photo with members of the majority bloc on Facebook, captioned with the hashtag “power sharing.”

“Nagbibiro lang siya. Ibig sabihin niya siguro ‘yung group ng majority,” Sotto said.

“Hindi. Wala, katuwaan lang namin,” Sotto said.

(He's just joking. Perhaps, he meant the members of the majority... No. It was nothing. We were just joking.)

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also called Legarda “madam president” when she presided over the Senate session today.

Legarda said she was only the presiding officer on Wednesday afternoon.

Zubiri said that Legarda may be “the future president” of the Senate.

“All’s well that ends well. The group is more solid than ever,” Zubiri said of the Senate majority.

When asked about the supposed power sharing, he said this was “in the near future.”

Zubiri later said they are “all one big and happy family” when asked if there was an attempt to change the leadership. — RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News