Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday confirmed that efforts to reorganize the Senate, reportedly led by Senator Imee Marcos, failed after the minority bloc fell short of the votes needed to unseat him.
Sotto said the group was unable to secure the minimum 13 votes required for a leadership change, despite talk of a possible “coup attempt.”
The minority bloc currently has nine members—Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Rodante Marcoleta, Joel Villanueva, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, and Bong Go—against a 15-member majority bloc headed by Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri.
He noted that the minority did not approach him directly and instead coursed their move through the office of Senator Loren Legarda, which he said was a sign that they lacked sufficient support.
Sotto also hinted that Senator Bong Go might be considering joining the majority bloc, although he stopped short of confirming any shift.