Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday denied allegations that she initiated the failed move to unseat Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, saying she only joined the effort at a later stage.
“I want to refute the circulating claims that I was the one behind the Senate shake-up. The entire minority can attest that I was among the last to know about it and to join,” Marcos said in a statement.
Her clarification came after Sotto suggested that Marcos’ removal as chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations triggered the reported leadership challenge.
On February 2, Senator Erwin Tulfo was elected as the new panel chair following remarks from Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson that the committee should be headed by a member of the majority.
Marcos, the sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said discussions about leadership change were inevitable, pointing to growing concerns among senators over what she described as “attacks” against the institution.
“The leadership needs to know that the buzz about changing the SP was loud because senators were worried. There was a growing fear that our institution was being shaken by cases and controversies for which the Senate should not be held accountable,” she said.
She was referring to a partial report by the Blue Ribbon Committee recommending the filing of criminal complaints against minority senators Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva.
Marcos is part of the nine-member minority bloc led by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
The committee report still needs at least 11 signatures before it can be brought to the Senate plenary.