Imee’s removal as Foreign Relations chair a trigger in ouster plot —Sotto

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday said that the removal of Senator Imee Marcos as the chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee was one of the reasons why there was an attempt to change the leadership in the chamber.

“My deduction is that ang trigger dito is the removal of Senator Imee Marcos from the committee of foreign relations. Isa ‘yun. Kasi 'di ba nagkakaroon ng mainit na balitaktakan sa floor tungkol sa China at sa mga opisyales natin na nakikipagpalitan ng barbs sa China,” Sotto said in a Zoom interview. 

(My deduction is that the trigger here was the removal of Senator Imee Marcos from the committee of foreign relations. That's one. Because there's a lot of heated exchanges on the floor about China and our officials trading barbs with China.) 

Marcos, in response, denied that the committee had anything to do with the ouster attempt. 

“With due respect to SP Sotto, the Foreign Relations Committee had nothing to do with whatever it is that he thinks is going on in the Senate. The resolution defending [PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay] Tarriela was not even referred to the Foreign Relations Committee,” she said.

To recall, Senate leaders had explained that Marcos was replaced as Foreign Relations chair because the majority bloc agreed in a caucus that such a major committee should be chaired by a member of their bloc. 

Senator Erwin Tulfo took the helm of the committee after he was elected as the new chairperson during Monday's plenary session.

Prior to the committee chairmanship shake-up, 15 senators signed the draft resolution denouncing the recent public statements issued by the Chinese Embassy against Filipino officials, which they described as “contrary to accepted standards of diplomatic conduct and mutual respect between states.”

Marcos did not sign the resolution, but she filed a separate resolution calling on all government officials and employees to exercise restraint, sobriety, and professionalism in public communications relating to foreign affairs, amid heated exchanges between Philippine and Chinese officials.

‘Chinators’

Sotto thus advised the nine senators who did not sign the resolution and are being accused online as being pro-China to fight their detractors back.

“Dapat ‘yung siyam ay pumalag 'di ba? E 'di hanapin nila kung sino ang nag-upload no’n, sino ang source, at sino nag-imbento kung nasasaktan sila sa post na ‘yun,” he said. 

(The nine senators should fight back, right? They should find who uploaded it, who is the source, and who invented such allegations if they are offended by that post.) 

The senators who failed to sign the resolution are: Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva, Robin Padilla, Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Aside from Marcos’ removal as Foreign Relations chair, Sotto also said that the draft report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommending charges against three incumbent senators might be among the reasons why there was an attempt to oust him as Senate President. 

“‘Yung hindi naman official at saka draft report na kumalat…siguro isa ‘yun sa mga dahilan din kasi biglang na-agitate ang mga nababanggit doon. Eh ang nababanggit doon at laman noon, hindi pa totoo ‘yun, hindi pa accurate ‘yun,” he said. 

(The unofficial and draft report that was circulated was maybe one of the reasons because it agitated the people mentioned. What was mentioned in the report is not yet true and accurate.) 

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, chairman of the Blue Ribbon panel, earlier confirmed that the committee report is poised to recommend the filing of criminal and administrative charges against incumbent and former lawmakers implicated in the flood control scandal.

This includes Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, and Francis "Chiz" Escudero, who are all from the minority bloc. 

Sotto also said that members of the minority bloc pushed for a coup mainly because they wanted the committee chairmanships. He also expressed belief that the ouster plot was not due to how is leading the chamber. 

“Maliwanag ‘yun, sinabi walang problema sa ’kin. Maliwanag ‘yun. Ang nabanggit is, bakit gano’n ang trato ng Blue Ribbon report na hindi pa nga naman final o hindi pa official,” he said. 

(That's clear, they said there is no problem with me. That's clear. What they questioned was the Blue Ribbon report when it’s not even final or official yet.)

Legarda as SP?

Regardless, Sotto expressed belief that the minority bloc never had the support of at least 13 senators to have him replaced as Senate President, most likely by Senator Loren Legarda.

According to Sotto, he was not hurt by the ouster attempt as he was already used to it, being among the veteran senators in the chamber. 

He also said that the Senate presidency was already offered to Legarda in the past, but she refused to take the position. 

That’s why, he said, there was a plan to just elect her as the first woman Senate President after the passage of the 2027 national budget or by 2028. 

“Kaya walang tinatawag na power sharing, walang tinatawag na term sharing. There's no such thing na pinag-usapan namin. Ang pinag-usapan namin was a plan, an idea. It was an idea na bakit nga hindi, gawin natin first lady Senate President si Loren,” he explained. 

(There is no such thing as power sharing or term sharing. What we talked about was a plan, an idea. It was the idea to make Loren the first lady Senate President.) —AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News