Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano broke his silence on Monday amid fresh rumors of another leadership shakeup in the Senate.
Speaking to reporters in an ambush interview, Cayetano stressed that the minority bloc is not actively courting members from the majority camp—yet he admitted that in politics, anything can happen.
“The minority wants to be the majority, but the majority never wants to be the minority,” he said with a wry smile.
Cayetano explained that the timing simply isn’t right. The new leadership under Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III had just taken their seats, and the majority remains “solid.”
“We haven’t even talked as a group about who could replace the Senate President—if ever there will be one. They only agreed that I should be the minority leader. Beyond that, no discussions yet,” he clarified.
Still, Cayetano was quick to throw the ball back at the majority, saying discontent—if there is any—lies within their own ranks.
“If there’s unrest among the 15 senators, that’s their problem, not ours. They’re the ones bringing up the word ‘plot.’ They’ve been talking about replacing Senator Escudero even before the elections,” he said, his tone sharp.
He then issued a pointed reminder to the majority:
“With all due respect, Mr. Majority, mind your own business. Don’t meddle with us in the minority—focus on your own problems.”
When pressed if a coup d’état was indeed brewing, Cayetano didn’t dismiss the possibility.
“There is always a possibility. If four more senators decide to join our nine, should we reject them? But for the record, I haven’t spoken to a single senator from the majority,” he admitted.
Sotto: Majority Still Solid
On the other hand, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III brushed aside the speculation. He expressed confidence that the 15-member majority bloc remains intact.
“The Senate President serves at the pleasure of his colleagues. If the majority someday wants someone else, then so be it. But for now, we’re solid,” Sotto told reporters in his own ambush interview.
Sotto had just replaced Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero as Senate President a week earlier. To emphasize unity, Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri even shared a photo of 12 out of 15 majority members dining together after their first caucus.
Meanwhile, Cayetano revealed that the nine-member minority also held their own meeting earlier in the day—keeping their ranks tight, but their doors, it seems, slightly open.
