Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he is trying to understand the decision of his fellow minority bloc members, Senators Migz Zubiri and Loren Legarda, to vote in favor of archiving the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Zubiri and Legarda sided with the motion of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, while Sotto and Senator Risa Hontiveros opposed it. Another minority member, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, abstained.
In an interview, Sotto revealed that both Zubiri and Legarda approached him beforehand to inform him of their decision.
“Si Migz (Zubiri) at Loren (Legarda), being members of the minority, hiwalay silang lumapit sa akin. Sinasabi nila sa akin na ‘Pasintabi na but I’m voting for the archiving’,” Sotto disclosed.
Sotto suspects their decision may have been politically motivated.
“Pero wala naman silang direktang sinabing dahilan kung bakit. So, mag-speculate na lang ako. Political ‘yung dahilan,” he said.
During the voting, Zubiri admitted in his speech that it was painful for him to go against Sotto—whom he once campaigned for and supported to become Senate President. Sotto eventually lost the Senate presidency to Senator Chiz Escudero in a 19–5 vote.
“Honestly, it pains me to vote against my minority floor leader, it pained me and Senator Loren (Legarda), but what we are called to do here today goes beyond a simple vote,” Zubiri said.