Sotto Replaces Escudero as Senate President

On Monday, September 8, just over a month after his reelection, Chiz Escudero was ousted as Senate President amid a probe into allegedly anomalous government flood control projects. His campaign's top donor is reportedly linked to the projects under investigation.

Veteran Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto announced that Escudero agreed to step down following a meeting between the two. Sotto, with the support of 15 senators, led the change in leadership. The new Senate President has not been named yet, but other key positions were filled: Senator Ping Lacson was elected Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and Senator Migz Zubiri will now serve as the Majority Leader, taking over from Senator Joel Villanueva.

The 15 senators who reportedly supported the leadership change are:

Tito Sotto

Bam Aquino

Pia Cayetano

JV Ejercito

Win Gatchalian

Risa Hontiveros

Ping Lacson

Lito Lapid

Loren Legarda

Kiko Pangilinan

Raffy Tulfo

Erwin Tulfo

Mark Villar

Camille Villar

Migz Zubiri

This leadership change follows a previous challenge to Escudero's position by Sotto at the opening of the 20th Congress on July 28. Sotto, who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022, has a long history in the Senate, with a career spanning multiple terms since his first election in 1992. He also made an unsuccessful run for vice president in 2022.

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