Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday defended Senator Loren Legarda against claims linking her to alleged efforts to unseat Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Lacson dismissed the accusations as false and malicious, saying it was Legarda who had been approached by certain individuals pushing for a change in Senate leadership. He did not name those behind the supposed maneuver.
The Senate majority bloc has since rejected reports of a leadership shakeup and reaffirmed its support for Sotto.
“After dangling the Senate presidency to her, they are now floating the falsehood that it was Sen. Loren who volunteered to recruit warm bodies to pave the way for a new Senate majority,” Lacson said in a social media post.
“It is not only malicious. It is sadistic,” he added.
Lacson earlier downplayed talk of a coup during the Senate plenary, stressing that there was no basis to claims of an organized move to oust Sotto.
“Sabi ko nga, like rebellion, it’s a continuing crime since time immemorial. Ganyan naman talaga dito. Kung may numero 13 or more, then so be it,” he said.