Sotto retains post as Senate President

FILE: Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto (Photo by Cesar Tomambo via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Senator Vicente Sotto III is still holding the position of Senate President as he was reelected on Monday, July 22, when the upper chamber officially opened its first regular session under the 18th Congress.

Sotto was reelected through viva voce, with only Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros abstaining from the voting. It was Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto who temporarily served as the presiding officer.

After the election, Sotto was sworn into office by Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who nominated Sotto for the presidency of the Senate, cited his colleague’s “long and accomplished legislative career that has been marked by numerous elections as both Minority and Majority Leader, prior to his Senate Presidency.”

Zubiri also noted that lawmakers were able to pass 406 bills into law under Sotto’s leadership in the 17th Congress.

“Having had the great honor of working closely with him in my capacity as Majority Leader, I can personally attest that were it not for his expert guidance, we would not have been able to achieve those numbers,” he said.

“Whatever challenges that we faced as a body, Sen. Sotto always showed us a way through,” he added.

The senator said he believes that Sotto, whom he described as a “great mentor” and “generous with his wealth of knowledge and experience,” is the “best man” for the position of Senate President.

“Sen. Vicente C. Sotto III is a workhorse, an institution in the Senate, a man of the people. And, I hope you all agree with me, he is the Senate President we need for this Congress,” the lawmaker stressed.

Sotto, for his part, thanked his colleagues for electing him again to be their leader.

“To be elected at large by the whole nation is indeed a rare honor and privilege for 24 in a more than a hundred million population, and to be elected by those so elected, as you did to me, is so much more humbling than a greater source of pride,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The Senate President stressed that he was not their superior, but simply a presider of their sessions.

“Any concept other than this is misplaced and unwarranted. Additionally, I am your listener, your adviser if you so desire, your enabler for anything within my power to do so,” he said.

Aside from Sotto, Recto and Zubiri also retained their posts. Senator Franklin Drilon also remained as the Minority Leader.

Sotto’s reelection came hours before President Rodrigo Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa.