SENATE President pro tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday branded as “faky breaky news” a report which said that another change in the Senate leadership will happen, barely a week after Sen. Vicente Sotto III assumed the top Senate post in place of ousted Sen. Francis Escudero.
“Peke (It’s fake). Intended to deceive and confuse. Underestimating the intelligence of the new Senate majority bloc, nagbabaka-sakaling may tumalon at pumirma (they are hoping that some will jump to the other side and sign [a resolution for a change in leadership]),” Lacson said referring to a post on X.
The post “BREAKING: Another Regodon (sic) in the Senate?” was posted on Saturday night by “OneTV Philippines” on its Facebook page. It said, “Senate Minority Leader Allan (sic) Peter Cayetano secures numbers for Senate presidency — a reliable source tells OneTV Philippines.”
Lacson said, “Malevolent, underhanded, foul and desperate.
If there is a song titled “Achy Breaky Hearts,” this one can be called ‘Faky Breaky News,’” he added.
Lacson said that according to the Facebook page of OneTV Philippines, it is a “digital news network globally-based in Davao City and Pagadian City.” Lacson said his staff members checked its YouTube channel, and as of Sunday morning, it has less than 2,000 subscribers, and had its latest update in July 2024.
Lacson said there is a “proper and professional way” to effect a change in Senate leadership, which he said is “to call or approach the Senate president, inform and show him the resolution signed by at least 13 senators, then the sitting Senate president resigns at the opening of the session, not through a media outlet, whether nationally recognized or obscure.”
In the latest coup on September 8, Escudero resigned as 15 senators signed a resolution to express support to the Senate presidency of Sotto.
With the change, Lacson was elected president pro tempore vice Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, while Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri was elected majority leader vice Sen. Joel Villanueva.
The minority bloc now has nine members — Cayetano, Estrada, Villanueva, Escudero, Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, and Robin Padilla.
Lacson did not discount the possibility of another coup, with only 15 in the majority and nine in the minority. He said this is why he advised Sotto to be the leader of all senators, including the minority bloc.
STABILITY
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he has no information about a new Senate coup.
“I am one with Sen. Lacson in saying that this is fake news. There is no change in Senate leadership. We had one only last week and for now majority of senators want stability in the Senate because there are many things happening right now in the country and we want stability in the leadership in the Senate,” Gatchalian said in Filipino in an interview with radio dzBB.
He said no one has approached him to seek support for a new Senate leader.
Gatchalian also said a Senate president can be ousted at any time.
“If the majority no longer wants the leadership, the majority can change it. So, it’s really a numbers game. The majority dictates, but sometimes there are those who push the majority, and if that happens, then a change in leadership occurs,” he said.
He said a “stable” Senate leadership” is needed at this time so that the anomalies in government projects can be thoroughly investigated.
