‘Senate leadership change in the works’

MANILA, Philippines — Another leadership change is “in the works” at the Senate, Sen. Panfilo Lacson confirmed yesterday.

Less than two weeks after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took over as Senate President, Lacson confirmed discussions among the 11 minority senators regarding another leadership change in the chamber.

“This much I can say: a change in leadership under the present situation is in the works,” Lacson told “Storycon” on One News.

He said Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has emerged as a “compromise” Senate president who is acceptable to both the majority and minority blocs.

“(Sen. Tito Sotto’s) position has become somewhat untenable. He himself has acknowledged this. The compromise reached was for our preferred
candidate for Senate president to be Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian,” Lacson said.

Despite the expected absence of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, the minority still needs two votes in order to move to vacate leadership posts.

Lacson confirmed that several members of the new majority wanted to join the minority, but it did not push through as they were backing another person to be Senate president.

He did not identify the person, but reports have identified Sen. Francis Escudero as the one backed by those open to switching sides.

“As far as the 11 members of the minority bloc are concerned, whenever we discuss this, we are unanimous on the matter. Our primordial concern is the integrity, dignity and reputation of the Senate,” Lacson said.

Citing previous leadership changes at the Senate, Lacson said, “There’s always a possibility. (In 2025), there were only five of us, yet (Sen. Vicente Sotto III) became Senate president… (Earlier this month), there were only nine of them while we were 15, but we were replaced. So, everything is possible.”

On Sept. 8, 2025, several members joined the then five-member minority to elect Sotto as Senate president, replacing Escudero.

Last May 11, four members of Sotto’s 15-member faction joined the then minority to elect Cayetano as the new Senate President. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding to cast the crucial vote in person for Cayetano.

For Lacson, who had to relinquish his post as Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, it is expected of every minority to plan a possible leadership change.

Gatchalian ready

Gatchalian said he is ready to become Senate president.

Speaking to dzMM yesterday, Gatchalian acknowledged the rumors, but said he would rather focus on the work now instead of giving more details about the discussions.

Gatchalian is reportedly seen as a consensus candidate compared to Sotto and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

If ever, it will be the first time for Gatchalian to hold the Senate reins.

“In my perspective, I have learned a lot from the Senate, especially the complicated committees. So, when ready, I’m really ready,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.

He said he has been a senator for 10 years already and chaired various committees on economic affairs, energy, basic education, ways and means and finance.?

A former district representative and mayor, Gatchalian is known as a no-nonsense senator who always comes well-prepared at committee hearings and inquiries, presenting charts and slideshows when he joined the probe on the gaming syndicates and the Filipino citizenship for sale scheme that benefited convicted human trafficker Alice Guo, as well as during national budget deliberations.

His stint as finance chair saw the once secretive bicameral meetings on the national budget opened to the public, with a transparency portal set up where the public and the media can download transcripts of hearings and budget documents.

It remains to be seen if the 11-member minority, led by Sotto, has enough support to tip the balance and replace the current 13-member majority led by Cayetano.

Anti-impeach House members lose posts

Meanwhile, three members of the House of Representatives, who voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, lost their leadership posts in the committee chairmanships in the chamber.

During the plenary session on Wednesday, the House approved the motion of Assistant Majority Leader Batangas Rep. Ryan Recto to reconsider the election of Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado and Agusan del Norte Rep. Dale Corvera as vice chairmen of the House committee on appropriations.

The chamber also approved Recto’s motion to remove Mercado as chairman of the House committee on population and family relations. He was replaced by Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Ongchuan.

Laguna Rep. Ramil Hernandez was also removed as chairman of the House special committee on Southern Tagalog development, and was replaced by Laguna Rep. Loreto Amante.

There was no explanation for the changes.

A total of 25 lawmakers voted against the filing of the articles of impeachment against Duterte, while 257 voted in favor. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Daphne Galvez