The Senate shake-up on September 8 (Monday) did not end with the ouster of Senator Chiz Escudero as Senate President.
In the same session, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was formally elected Senate President Pro Tempore, while Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri assumed the role of Senate Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Committee on Rules.
📷: Senate of the Philippines
Both Lacson and Zubiri are close allies of newly-installed Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Political observers recall that in the 2022 elections, Sotto ran for vice president alongside Lacson, who sought the presidency.
Meanwhile, though still unofficial, a list of the new Senate majority and minority blocs under Sotto’s leadership has surfaced.
Majority Bloc:
- Senate President Tito Sotto
- Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson
- Senate Majority Floor Leader Migz Zubiri
- Senator Loren Legarda
- Senator Risa Hontiveros
- Senator Bam Aquino
- Senator Pia Cayetano
- Senator JV Ejercito
- Senator Win Gatchalian
- Senator Lito Lapid
- Senator Kiko Pangilinan
- Senator Erwin Tulfo
- Senator Raffy Tulfo
- Senator Camille Villar
- Senator Mark Villar
Minority Bloc:
- Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano
- Senator Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta
- Senator Joel Villanueva
- Senator Chiz Escudero
- Senator Robin Padilla
- Senator Jinggoy Estrada
- Senator Imee Marcos
- Senator Bong Go
- Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
With these new alignments, Sotto has solidified his control of the Senate, stacking leadership and committee power in the hands of his trusted allies while relegating Escudero and other critics to the minority.