SENATE President Francis Escudero yesterday said he would let his fellow senators decide whether he would be retained as the chamber’s leader in the incoming 20th Congress.
Escudero said Senate rules state that the sitting Senate president can continue to be the leader if his or her term as a senator has not yet expired.
“Sang-ayon sa rules ng Senado, magpapatuloy ang Senate President kung hindi nag-graduate, katulad ng sitwasyon ngayon, at magbabago lamang ‘yan kapag nag-presenta ng higit sa mayoryang boto kapag nag-resume ang Senado (According to Senate rules, the Senate President can continue serving if he or she has not graduated and that will only change if the majority votes against the Senate leader once sessions resume),” Escudero said at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.
Escudero issued this statement after former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who is set to make a Senate comeback, said he is ready to accept the Senate presidency in the 20th Congress if the majority of his colleagues support him.
Escudero said any sitting senator can be voted in as Senate President, adding he is not hoping to be retained.
“It’s not a question of hoping. It’s a question of reality. Ang Senate president dapat may kumpiyansa ng mahigit mayorya ng Senado, 13 at higit pa. Puwedeng mangyari ‘yan sa sino mang Senate president, kabilang na ako, basta may sesyon at dapat maliwanag ‘yan lahat sa amin–Senate president man o hindi, nangangarap man o hindi (It’s not a question of hoping. It’s a question of reality. The Senate president should have the confidence of more than the majority of the members — 13 or more. That can happen to any Senate president, including me, as long as there is a session and that should be clear to all of us — Senate president or not, aspiring to be one or not),” he said.
Escudero said it is too early to tell if he would be retained or if somebody else would take over his position.
For now, he said he wants to focus on passing important measures before the 19th Congress ends on June 30.
The Senate is set to resume sessions from June 2 to 13, and will go on a sine die adjournment on June 14 to July 27. The 20th Congress will officially start on July 28.
Among the measures he wanted passed are the amendments to the Mining Act, the Government Rightsizing Bill, the Right of Way Bill, amendments to the taxation on vape and alcohol products, and the bill permanently banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
