Senator Francis Escudero on Monday secured a fresh mandate as president of the Senate, winning the votes of 19 senators at the opening of the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress.
The chamber’s reorganization saw a shift in alignments and confirmations of emerging blocs, with the majority reaffirming support for Escudero’s leadership.
Only five senators voted for Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who, by tradition, automatically assumed the position of minority leader after falling short in the vote for the Senate’s top post.
Among those who voted for Escudero were Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Francis Pangilinan, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Manuel Lapid.
The so-called Duterte bloc — composed of Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher Go, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta and Robin Padilla — also cast their votes for Escudero.
Members of the so-called siblings bloc likewise supported Escudero. These included Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano; Raffy and Erwin Tulfo; Camille and Mark Villar; as well as stepbrothers Jose Estrada and Juan Victor Ejercito.
In contrast, Sotto was backed by Senators Escudero, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, and Loren Legarda — a signal of the complex, and at times overlapping, allegiances within the chamber.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Escudero was joined by his wife, actress and fashion influencer Heart Evangelista, along with their two children.
Senator Estrada was elected Senate president pro tempore, the chamber’s second highest post. In a personal moment during the ceremony, Estrada invited his half-brother, Senator Ejercito, to join him and their family at the rostrum. The two are sons of former President Joseph Estrada, with Senator Estrada’s mother being former Senator Luisa Ejercito, and Ejercito’s mother being former San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez.
Senator Villanueva was elected Majority Leader, placing him in charge of the chamber’s legislative agenda and floor deliberations.
Meanwhile, Senator Hontiveros formally joined the minority bloc after her earlier bid to form an independent bloc fell through.
“I will be part of the minority,” she said in a press conference before the session. “I am at peace with that. Even in the minority, I will continue to work and to stand firm in my convictions.”
