Francis Escudero lost the Senate presidency to Vicente Sotto III on Monday, just over a month after his reelection to the post—a sign that senators are listening to public opinion, according to a political analyst. 

The change in leadership in the Senate occurred in the face of growing public anger over the government’s multibillion-peso flood control projects that turned out substandard or nonexistent, as well as alleged “insertions” in the 2025 national budget. 

Earlier, the Senate blue ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta conducted a hearing in which the contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya named the congresspersons and public works officials who allegedly received “commissions” from their flood control projects. A number of the lawmakers, including Speaker Martin Romualdez, have denied the accusation. 

Minority Leader Sotto was elected the Senate’s new president after Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri moved to declare the top position vacant, with no objection from the floor. Sen. Loren Legarda seconded the motion. Zubiri then nominated Sotto to the post.

Zubiri was elected as majority leader and Sen. Panfilo Lacson as president pro tempore, replacing Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, respectively. The minority leader has yet to be elected.

Sotto told reporters in a Viber message on Monday night that Lacson will also chair the blue ribbon committee. 

University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Encinas-Franco said Escudero’s ouster showed that the senators are mindful of public opinion and eager to preserve the Senate’s credibility.

“Though it remains to be seen if this will result in a more transparent and accountable Senate in the long term, the leadership change indicates that senators are listening to the public, especially when institutional reputation is at stake,” she told CoverStory on Monday.

‘No grudges’

It was Estrada who announced Sotto’s election. “There being no other nominees for the position, Sen. Vicente Sotto, the only nominee for the position of Senate president, is hereby declared as the newly elected president of the Senate,” he said. 

Escudero shook hands with Sotto and swore him in as Senate president. “I hold no grudges, I hold no ill feelings,” Escudero said.

In a speech, Sotto thanked his colleagues and promised to be “your listener, your adviser, and, if you so desire, your enabler for anything within my power to do so.”

“As I said before, I will do everything in my capacity to ensure that this Senate will remain cooperative but independent, balanced, transparent and sincere,” he said.

Sotto told reporters early Monday that 15 other senators had committed to vote for him as Senate president. He did not name them. 

Escudero is linked to Centerways Construction and Development president Lawrence Lubiano, one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as having cornered the government’s flood control projects. He earlier confirmed that Lubiano donated ₱30 million to his senatorial election campaign in 2022.

‘Seen, heard and felt’

Sotto acknowledged in his speech that corruption “is now seen, heard and felt by Filipinos more than ever” in flood control projects, dilapidated classrooms, and the lack of quality farm-to-market roads. 

“Corruption is now perceived by our people to be in the whole of government. But with the political will of those in position and together with the vigilance of and clamor from the public, we can fight this and bring the transparency and true accountability that our nation deserves,” he said. 

UP’s Encinas-Franco said that with Escudero no longer Senate president, she expects the chamber’s investigations to continue with more credibility. “Escudero’s leadership has become untenable due to the campaign donations he received from a contractor,” she said. 

But in his own speech on Monday, Escudero said that under his leadership, the Senate “did not shy away from confronting the difficult questions facing our nation” and “conducted hearings that unearthed corruption on a scale rarely seen before.” 

“I am proud of what the Senate accomplished together, and I trust that the spirit of transparency and courage that have been displayed by this chamber will be sustained,” he added.

Encinas-Franco also expressed the belief that the change of leadership in the Senate resulted from “more of a confluence of events rather than the sole influence of the President.”

In Cambodia where Mr. Marcos is on a state visit, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters that she was “shocked” at the development but that Malacañang respects the senators’ decision. 

“The President has said he cannot interfere with what the senators want, with whoever they choose to lead them,” she said. 

Asked if the change in leadership at the Senate would not cause political chaos, Castro said the same scenario had happened before, “and we did not have a problem.”

The ‘independent’ branch

Encinas-Franco pointed out that the Senate has always been touted as the “independent” branch. 

“While I cannot vouch for the Senate’s independence, I can certainly state that SP Sotto’s leadership will bring more order and stability to the chamber,” she said. “Sotto’s long experience and adherence to traditional Senate rules and practices, which, of late, we have not seen in the institution, will benefit the Senate.” 

Asked about possible changes in the Senate’s priorities, such as pursuing politically sensitive issues like the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Encinas-Franco said: “The leadership change gives hope for the VP’s impeachment proceedings to proceed in a less partisan manner, barring legal challenges and whether another set of complaints will materialize next year.”  

The new chairmanships of the other Senate committees have yet to be announced.