Speculation surrounding a leadership coup against Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano intensified over the weekend, fueled by a recent shooting incident within the Senate premises and the abrupt return and departure of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Senator Imee Marcos heightened the intrigue ahead of a plenary session by posting a video online commenting on the noticeably tense atmosphere brewing inside the upper chamber.
“Ewan ko ba’t ang susungit,” Marcos said in the video.
(“I don’t know why they are so grumpy.”)
Reflecting on advice she previously gave her sons regarding humility in both victory and defeat, the lawmaker emphasized that individuals should maintain their composure and behave like gentlemen regardless of the political outcome.
“Huwag kang magsusungit. Hay nako, sore loser. Pambihira,” she added.
(“Don’t be grumpy. Goodness, sore loser. Unbelievable.”)
During the session, Marcos also playfully addressed reporters about her frequent use of a nasal inhaler, jokingly attributing it to the psychological climate of the room rather than a physical ailment.
“Allergic ako sa pikon. Ayoko malasap ang hangin ng asar-talo,” Marcos said, without naming any specific colleague.
(“I am allergic to thin-skinned people. I don’t want to breathe in the air of a sore loser.”)
In a separate video posted to her Facebook page on Tuesday, May 19, Marcos clarified that while the rumored coup has not materialized, an active “operation” had indeed been launched to convince members of the majority bloc to change allegiances. She claimed the movement ultimately fell short.
However, the senator alleged that the political maneuvering involved heavy-handed tactics, asserting that several senators had been subjected to intimidating phone calls and outright threats.
Marcos linked this high-pressure environment to the sudden timing of a Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution, which recommended filing plunder and graft charges against Senator Jinggoy Estrada before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Inaasahan namin sunod-sunod yung mga kaso…Pag hindi nadaan sa incentive package, dinadaan naman sa pananakot,” she warned.
(“We expect a succession of cases… If it cannot be settled through an incentive package, they resort to intimidation.”)
The Senate leadership has yet to issue an official statement addressing the coup allegations or Marcos’ claims of coercion among its members.