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Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
February 5, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A looming leadership battle in the Senate was averted yesterday after Senate President Vicente Sotto III reached a “power-sharing” deal that may see Sen. Loren Legarda pick up the gavel “in the near future,” setting up a historic first for a female legislator in the chamber.
Before the afternoon session, Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Imee Marcos were all smiles after having a meeting with Legarda.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also came out of that meeting. They declined to be interviewed, only telling the media, “See you downstairs!”
The minority was reportedly courting Legarda to their side to get the numbers to oust the Sotto-Lacson tandem.
However, the senators took a long break in the middle of the afternoon session and the reported attempt was foiled, with Legarda also meeting with the Sotto-led majority during the break in the Senate lounge.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan posted a photo on Facebook with the caption “Powersharing” with the emoji of the Philippine flag.
In the photo were Pangilinan, Sotto, Legarda, Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian.
When session resumed after over an hour, it was Legarda who sat at the rostrum, to the shock of everyone expecting her election as Senate President by acclamation already.
But instead of getting elected right there and then, Zubiri moved for adjournment, but not before teasing Legarda by calling her “Madam President.”
Only the senators in the photo returned to the session, while the minority was nowhere to be seen.
Sotto and Ejercito contirmed talks of the term-sharing agreement.
“We plan on placing Sen. Loren (as Senate President) before the 20th Congress ends,” Sotto told reporters.
Neither of them, however, disclosed the specifics of when Sotto would step down to hand the leadership of the chamber to Legarda, who is up for reelection in two years.
In a chance interview, Legarda brushed off Zubiri’s tease and said she was only called that because she was the presiding officer before adjourning the session.
Zubiri, meanwhile, was more forthcoming when he said Legarda could become Senate President in the future.
Zubiri said a term sharing between Sotto and Legarda is possible “in the near future.”
“We discussed, and all’s well that ends well. Our group is more solid than ever now,” Zubiri said.
Asked if the minority-led coup was thwarted, Zubiri laughed and brushed off the rumors.
Despite heightened tensions and speculation throughout the day, no motion to reorganize the leadership was raised on the floor and the Senate proceeded with its scheduled business.
If Legarda assumes the Senate leadership, she could be the first female Senate President in the chamber’s 109-year history.
No coup vs Dy
The leadership in the House of Representatives is intact, House majority leader Rep. Sandro Marcos said yesterday.
“I don’t know of any coup in Congress at any point in time,” Marcos told reporters before the plenary session started.
Marcos said that Dy has been very effective in his position as Speaker of the House.
“He has been steering the House through his own quiet brand of leadership, which is what I think the House needs now, and instituting the reforms that the House requires to show to the Filipino people,” Marcos said.– Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Jose Rodel Clapano
