THE Senate ousted Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as the Senate President.
A total of 13 senators voted for Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate President, outnumbering Sotto, who gained only nine votes during a session on Monday, May 11, 2026. Two lawmakers abstained.
Rumors of a leadership shake-up in the Senate have emerged since the first few weeks of the year amid the investigation by the Senate blue ribbon committee into alleged corruption linked to the government’s flood control projects.
In his speech, Cayetano denied that the change of leadership in the Senate is related to the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Let me make it very clear, may mga lumabas sa news, at hindi ko kayo sinisisi na sinasabi nyo sa news na ang pagpalit ay tungkol sa impeachment ay hindi po, the impeach is enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
“Let me make it clear, the impeachment will be much much more than dismissing a complaint because of political affiliation and it is also much much more than convicting someone without evidence. Parehong hindi pwede yon. Kailangan guided tayo by the truth and evidence, but the process is as important as the result,” he added.
Senator Loren Legarda was elected as Senate president pro tempore. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)