Raffy Tulfo denies minority senators threatening colleagues to change leadership

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday denied allegations that members of the minority bloc were recruiting senators and issuing threats to unseat the current Senate leadership.

"We will never do that," Tulfo told reporters when asked about reports that members of the minority were making threats to recruit senators to a new majority.

In a separate interview, the senator said the minority bloc recently held a caucus, but their discussion focused on their approach to the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

"Tulad ng sinasabi ng lahat, manipis. Mas maganda siguro magtrabaho kaming lahat saka pag-isipan ang coup d'etat," Tulfo said.

(Like what others were saying, the majority is thin. But right now, I think it would be better for us to work first.)

It can be recalled that Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said some members of the new majority are already getting calls, even threats, for another leadership change, just days after he took over the leadership of the chamber on May 11.

Tulfo said he would remain with the minority bloc despite the removal of his chairmanship of some committees.

"Minority. Come what may," he added.

Ping, Loren

Meanwhile, Senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Loren Legarda were seen smiling as they alighted the elevator together days after the recent Senate coup.

Lacson earlier said that Legarda, who replaced him as Senate President Pro Tempore, could have informed the then-majority of her decision to switch sides following the surprise leadership change.

“My sentiment, and I think my colleagues in the former majority share this, it is sad that Sen. Legarda, one of our originals in the former majority, did not inform us of her decision. I am not taking anything away from her decision to join Senator Cayetano, but we just hoped she would at least have told us, instead of surprising us,” he added. –NB, GMA News