MANILA, Philippines — Soon-to-be Senator Tito Sotto said something very important on Wednesday: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. does not want Vice President Sara Duterte to be impeached.
In a talk with reporters during the “Kapihan sa Manila Bay” forum, Sotto shared that he personally heard the President say this many times before. He said, “Every time we talked to President Marcos during the election campaign, he always said he doesn’t support the plan to impeach Vice President Sara.”
Why Doesn’t Marcos Want Her Impeached?
Sotto explained that President Marcos believes that impeaching VP Sara could mess up the country’s economy and how the government is working. That’s why he doesn’t agree with it.
“I heard him say it himself,” Sotto added. “I can honestly say he means it when he says he’s against the impeachment right now.”
Marcos and Duterte were teammates during the 2022 elections, which means they worked together to win as President and Vice President.
Will Senators Follow What the President Wants?
When someone asked if senators should follow what the President says, Sotto gave an interesting answer. He said, “Maybe in politics, yes. But the Senate is different. The President doesn’t control the Senate.”
He explained that during his time in the Senate, presidents tried to tell senators what to do—but it didn’t always work.
For example:
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When President Fidel Ramos wanted someone from his party to be Senate President, the Senate chose someone else.
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The same thing happened when President Noynoy Aquino wanted his own candidate.
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Only during President Joseph Estrada’s time did the Senate follow the President’s suggestion.
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During Presidents Gloria Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte’s time, they didn’t even try to interfere.
Sotto said, “In my experience, no President really controls the Senate.”
What About the “Independent Bloc”?
Some senators like Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, and Bam Aquino talked about forming something called an “independent bloc” in the Senate.
But Sotto said that’s not really a thing. He explained, “You’re either part of the majority or the minority. If you vote for the Senate President, you’re in the majority. If you don’t, you’re in the minority. That’s it—no middle group.”
He added that calling themselves “independent” is just a personal opinion, but it doesn’t officially exist in Senate rules.
Who Will Be the Next Senate President?
Right now, there’s a race to see who will be the next Senate President. Sotto and Senator Chiz Escudero are both talking to other senators to get their support.
Sotto and Escudero are from the same political party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). But Sotto said Escudero might not follow the party’s plans because he filed a leave from the party. He didn’t say exactly when.
When asked if NPC will have the most Senate seats, Sotto answered, “That depends if Escudero follows the party. Honestly, these days, we don’t know who’s working together and who’s not.”
Some senators Sotto and Escudero talked to about their Senate presidency bids include:
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Senator Bong Go
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Senator Erwin Tulfo
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Senator Bato dela Rosa
Senator Imee Marcos (President Marcos’ sister) also said that some senators asked her if she would run for Senate President too.
In short:
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President Marcos doesn’t want VP Sara impeached.
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Senator Sotto agrees and says he heard it directly from the President.
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Sotto says senators don’t always follow the President’s wishes.
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There’s no such thing as an “independent bloc” in the Senate, just majority and minority.
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The Senate presidency race is heating up with Sotto, Escudero, and maybe even Imee Marcos in the mix.
