Sotto on heading Senate: I will not allow it to be degraded

FILE: “I will not allow it to be degraded, trampled, attacked, or unfairly criticized without responding fairly or violently if necessary,” Sotto said in a statement according to a Rappler report on May 18, Friday. (Photo by Joseph Vidal via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to not let the upper house be degraded as he is elected as its new head.

“I will not allow it to be degraded, trampled, attacked, or unfairly criticized without responding fairly or violently if necessary,” Sotto said in a statement according to a Rappler report on May 18, Friday.

Majority of the leaders in the upper chamber signed a resolution expressing their sense to re-organize the leadership of the Senate, electing him as the new Senate President on Thursday.

“By a majority vote of all the senators, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III is hereby elected as the new Senate President to discharge the duties and powers granted to him by the rules of the Senate,” the resolution read.

“It is hereby resolved by a majority vote of all the Senate to express its sense to reorganize its leadership and hereby electing Senator Vicente C. Sotto III as the new Senate President,” it added.

The Senators who signed the said resolution were Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Richard “Dick” Gordon, Gregorio Honasan II, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Meanwhile, outgoing Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Senator Grace Poe, and Sotto did not sign.

Pimentel is the president of the ruling party – Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Section 16(1), Article VI of the Philippine Constitution mandates the Senate to elect its President by a majority vote of all its members.

The Palace through Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. hoped that this leadership re-organization will not affect the ties.

“Naniniwala ang Palasyo na kahit sino pong mahalal na Senate President – at ang balita po ay Senator Tito Sotto – ay napakalapit din pong alyado ni Senator Tito Sotto, wala pong magbabago sa malapit na samahan at kooperasyon na ngayon ay mayroon sa panig ng Senado at ng Malacañang (The Palace believes that whoever is elected to be the Senate President – news say it is Senator Tito Sotto, a close ally, nothing will change in the close relationship and cooperation between the Senate and Malacañang),” he said.