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President of the Senate of the Philippines

Highest ranking-official of the Senate of the Philippines

President of the Senate of the Philippines

President of the Senate of the Philippines, commonly referred to as Senate President (SP), is the title of the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and third highest and most powerful official in the government of the Philippines. They are elected by the entire body to be their leader. The Senate president is second in the line of succession to the presidency, behind only the vice president and ahead of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

President of the Senate of the Philippines

President of the Senate of the Philippines
Pangulo ng Senado ng Pilipinas
Seal of the Senate of the Philippines
Flag of the Senate President
since June 17, 2026
Senate of the Philippines
Style
Member ofSenate of the Philippines
National Security Council
Commission on Appointments
SeatGSIS Building, Pasay
AppointerSenate
Term lengthAt the Senate's pleasure; elected at the beginning of the new Congress by a majority of the senators-elect, and upon a vacancy during a Congress
Inaugural holderManuel L. Quezon
FormationOctober 16, 1916; 109 years ago (1916-10-16)
SuccessionSecond
DeputyPresident pro tempore of the Senate
SalaryVary from ₱325,807 to ₱374,678 monthly[1]

President of the Senate of the Philippines (Filipino: Pangulo ng Senado ng Pilipinas),[2] commonly referred to as Senate President (SP), is the title of the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and third highest and most powerful official in the government of the Philippines. They are elected by the entire body to be their leader. The Senate president is second in the line of succession to the presidency, behind only the vice president and ahead of the speaker of the House of Representatives.[3]

The 34th and current president of the Senate is Sherwin Gatchalian, a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition.

Election

The Senate president is elected by the majority of the members of the Senate from among themselves.[4] Since there are 24 senators, 13 votes are needed to win the Senate presidency, including any vacant seats or senators not attending the session. Although Senate presidents are elected at the start of each Congress, there had been numerous instances of Senate leadership elections in which a sitting Senate president has been unseated in the middle of a session.[5][6] Term-sharing agreements among senators who are both eyeing the position of the Senate president also played a role in changing the leadership of the Senate, but in a smooth manner, through the peaceful transition of power. Three known instances were in 1999, 2006, and 2018.[7][8]

Newly elected Senate presidents are traditionally sworn in by the youngest senator, known as the "Benjamin" of the chamber, usually one belonging to the majority bloc, as in the cases of Bam Aquino administering the oath of office to Franklin Drilon in 2013, Manny Pacquiao to Koko Pimentel in 2016, Mark Villar to Francis Escudero in 2024, and Camille Villar to Alan Peter Cayetano in 2026.[9][10][11]

Unlike most Senate presidents that are the symbolic presiding officers of the upper house, the Senate president of the Philippines wields considerate power by influencing the legislative agenda and has the ability to vote not just in order to break ties, although the Senate president is traditionally the last senator to vote. A tied vote, therefore, means that the motion is lost, and that the Senate president cannot cast a tie-breaking vote since that would mean that the presiding officer would have had voted twice.

History

20th century

Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Senate, was the longest serving in history, with a total of 19 years in office.

The position was established upon the inauguration of the Senate of the Philippines in 1916, replacing the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the Philippine Legislature. The first Senate president, Manuel L. Quezon, was elected on October 16, 1916 by unanimous acclamation.[12][13] He served until 1935 when he was sworn in as the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

The next officeholder was Manuel Roxas, who served from after the bicameral Congress was restored in 1945 until his election as president the following year.[14] Control of the Senate actively shifted between Nacionalistas and Liberals from then until 1972 under a two-party system, resulting in various presiding officers from both parties in a single Congress.

The first known ouster of a president of the Senate of the Philippines occurred in 1949, when Liberal Party senators supporting president Elpidio Quirino’s bid for reelection joined forces with senators from the Nacionalista Party to unseat José Avelino, a fellow Liberal, as Senate president. The move stemmed from the rivalry between Quirino and Avelino over who would become the party’s standard-bearer in the upcoming presidential election.[15] Quirino and Avelino ultimately ran for the presidency under separate Liberal Party factions, with Quirino defeating Avelino by receiving more than 50% of the votes.[16] Mariano Jesús Cuenco was elected to replace Avelino and retained the position despite Avelino’s subsequent attempt to reclaim the Senate presidency during the Second Congress.[17]

This Congress also saw the greatest number of changes in the Senate presidency.[18] Quintín Paredes succeeded Cuenco in March 5, 1952 after a two-month deadlock in electing a new Senate president.[19] Paredes resigned on April 17 and was replaced by Nacionalista senator Camilo Osías.[20] Osías was later unseated by Eulogio Rodriguez on April 30, who served as Senate president for a year before Osías regained the position on April 17, 1953.[21] On April 30, 1953, Liberal senator Jose Zulueta was elected Senate president, serving until his resignation and Rodriguez's subsequent reelection on May 20 of the same year.[22] Rodriguez went on to serve as Senate president for ten consecutive years.[23]

His successor, Ferdinand Marcos, was the only pre-martial law Senate president who switched parties in the middle of his tenure, when he left the Liberal Party after failing to gain its nomination as their presidential candidate for the 1965 elections and ran under the Nacionalista ticket.[24] Marcos was elected president of the Senate on April 5, 1963, during a session in which Senator Roseller T. Lim delivered the longest filibuster in Philippine Senate history in an unsuccessful attempt to block Marcos's election.[25]

Gil Puyat served as the last president of the Senate before his and other senators' terms were cut short after Marcos declared martial law.[26] The bicameral Congress was eventually abolished upon the ratification of the 1973 Constitution,[27] providing for a unicameral legislature, which would be later convened as the Batasang Pambansa.

The 1987 Constitution restored the Senate and the House of Representatives as the two houses of Congress under the presidency of Corazon Aquino, a year after Marcos was ousted by the People Power Revolution. Jovito Salonga, who previously served as senator from 1965 to 1972, was the first president elected by the reestablished Senate in the 8th Congress.[28] He was ousted upon the election of Neptali Gonzales as Senate president, after a rump session was held by only 13 senators, enough to constitute a quorum, while senators supporting Salonga boycotted the session.[29] The ouster was primarily attributed to declining public approval of the Senate’s leadership, as Salonga was one of the candidates in the 1992 presidential election, and many senators felt that a presidential candidate should not preside over a joint session of Congress that would canvass the election returns.[30] Salonga questioned the legality of Gonzales’s election, as the official mace of the Senate was not present in the session hall when an aide from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms seized it. A makeshift mace was instead used (a framed seal of the Senate tied by Ernesto Maceda to the mace of the 1986 Constitutional Commission).[31] For a brief period, the Senate had two presidents sworn into office, until Salonga relinquished his position to Gonzales after the session resumed in January 1992.

Gonzales stepped down on January 18, 1993, after fellow senators from Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and two senators from other rival parties voted Edgardo Angara into the Senate presidency. Angara was reelected when the 10th Congress first convened, only to be replaced by Gonzales in August 1995. Gonzales resigned the presidency of the chamber for a second time on October 10, 1996 after a coup staged by 16 senators. Ernesto Maceda of the Nationalist People's Coalition was installed in his place and served until January 1998.[32] Neptali Gonzales then assumed the Senate presidency for a final, third time, serving until the end of his senatorial term on June 30 of the same year.

Marcelo Fernan was elected over Francisco Tatad on July 27, 1998, and served until his resignation on June 28, 1999 due to failing health; he died two weeks later.[33] President pro tempore Blas Ople acted as presiding officer until he was formally elected Senate president on July 26, 1999.

21st century

Franklin Drilon was the second, and to date, last Senate president to serve three non-consecutive terms, after Neptali Gonzales.

Ople resigned the Senate presidency on July 12, 2000, honoring a term-sharing deal with Franklin Drilon,[7] who succeeded him, with the former assuming the post of president pro tempore. Drilon was then replaced by Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on November 14, 2000, after 13 senators voted Drilon out following his decision to break away from the Lapian ng Masang Pilipino, the ruling coalition led by president Joseph Estrada, whom he called on to resign, to join the opposition supporting then–vice president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in light of Estrada being impeached by the House of Representatives.[34] Pimentel himself resigned at the height of the controversial trial of Estrada when 11 out of the 21 senators present voted not to open the second envelope containing crucial evidence that could prove acts of corruption committed by the president.[35]

The Senate had its first president from the Nacionalista Party since 1972, with Manny Villar assuming the position on July 24, 2006 after agreeing to a term-sharing arrangement with Drilon two years earlier.[36] Juan Ponce Enrile was unanimously elected to replace Villar on November 17, 2008,[37] serving until his resignation in 2013 following criticisms of mishandling Senate funds, particularly the disparity in the distribution of his so-called "cash gifts," with 18 senators receiving ₱1.6 million each and six receiving only ₱250,000 each.[38]

Franklin Drilon served a third term as chief of the Senate during the 16th Congress.[39] Koko Pimentel, a member of the ruling party PDP–Laban, was elected in 2016[40] and remained Senate president until May 21, 2018, when he resigned in favor of, and nominated, Tito Sotto as his successor.[8] Sotto, who was term-limited, was reelected in 2019 and led the Senate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic until 2022.[41]

Juan Miguel Zubiri was elected on July 25, 2022, at the start of the 19th Congress.[42] He resigned the Senate presidency in May 2024 following criticisms from both supporters of president Bongbong Marcos and former president Rodrigo Duterte over investigations conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs linking alleged leaked documents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to Marcos for illegal drug use, and due to his opposition to moves calling for charter change through people's initiative.[43][44]

On May 20, 2024, Francis Escudero was elected Senate president, with 15 senators voting in favor, following a resolution signed by 13 senators circulating to oust Zubiri.[45][46] Escudero defended his seat at the opening of the 20th Congress against Tito Sotto, winning with 19 votes to remain president of the Senate.[47] However, on September 8, 2025, during a plenary session of the Senate, Sotto replaced Escudero as Senate president, on his second term as such, as the sole nominee for the position.[48]

To date, no woman has been elected president of the Senate. Prior to the opening of the 19th Congress, Cynthia Villar was reported to be vying for the position.[49] However, she later withdrew from the race and supported the bid of Juan Miguel Zubiri for Senate president.[50]

2026 leadership coup

Alan Peter Cayetano (second from left) is sworn in by Camille Villar (right) as the new president of the Senate on May 11, 2026.

In February 2026, speculation arose regarding a possible coup in the Senate leadership.[51] Reports stated that several minority members urged Loren Legarda to accept the position of Senate president to unseat incumbent Tito Sotto, following alleged dissatisfaction among some senators over an unofficial, partial Blue Ribbon Committee report recommending the filing of charges against Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, and Francis Escudero regarding their involvement in the scandals on anomalous flood control projects.[52]

According to Sotto, an attempt to install Legarda as Senate president was averted by the majority bloc on February 4, 2026.[53] He also confirmed that no term-sharing arrangements were in place, and that there have been discussions within the majority regarding the possible election of Legarda as the first female president of the Senate before the end of her term in 2028, following deliberations on the 2027 national budget.[54]

On May 11, 2026, Sotto was removed from his position following a leadership change described as a coup. In a vote involving all senators, 13 voted to elect minority floor leader Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate president per nomination of Imee Marcos, while nine voted in the negative and two abstained. This comes before the House of Representatives votes whether to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte or not; however, in Cayetano's speech as the new Senate president, he said that the leadership change was not about the second impeachment of Sara Duterte.[55][56] Following Sotto's removal, he said the coup was not a surprise for him.[57]

Prior to the change in leadership, several senators have spoken about, confirmed, and denied the senate coup allegations. Senator Erwin Tulfo on May 4 dismissed rumors about a possible shift in Senate leadership in connection with the anticipated impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte[58], adding on May 10 that a senate coup is "not the answer" to stop the impeachment trial of Duterte.[59] On the same day, then-Senate president Tito Sotto confirmed there is indeed a plan to remove him as the leader of the upper house, saying he "leaves everything to God's plan".[60] Hours before the coup takes place, minority Senators Robin Padilla and Bong Go denied claims that the minority bloc is plotting a coup d'état to change the Senate leadership and block the impeachment trial of the Vice President.[61][62] Senator Panfilo Lacson later confirmed that discussions within the Senate minority bloc regarding an attempt to oust then-Senate president Sotto were active and said they are monitoring the situation.[63] Minutes before the session opened, Cayetano denied rumors of a coup; however, during his manifestation on the Senate floor, he said that the minority bloc had secured enough votes to oust Sotto as Senate president.[57]

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian presiding over the session June 3, 2026 session of the Senate

Politiko previously reported on May 10, 2026 that a group led by Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano had allegedly revived efforts to oust Sotto in connection with Sara Duterte's impeachment proceedings. According to the outlet's sources, Cayetano was reportedly seeking support from Senator Loren Legarda to replace Sotto as Senate president, which could happen on May 11.[64] Senator Legarda was then elected as the new Senate president pro tempore on May 11, following the election of Cayetano as the new leader of the Senate.[57]

On June 1 and 2, 2026, the Senate experienced a two-day legislative impasse when Cayetano and the members of the majority failed to attend the scheduled sessions of those days.[65] The following day, on June 3, Senator Escudero joined the eleven members of the Senate minority to establish a quorum of twelve senators. Upon convening, the new majority motioned to declare all leadership positions vacant, unseating Cayetano and Legarda from their offices, and electing Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president, as a 13-seat Senate quorum is required for an election of a permanent Senate president.[66][67]

From June 3 to 17, the office of the Senate president was disputed.[68][69][70] Cayetano later conceded the Senate presidency on June 17, stating that, if Senator Joel Villanueva were to join Gatchalian's bloc, the latter would have the 13 votes necessary to be formally elected Senate president. He added that he would no longer claim the presidency and would not obstruct the election of a new Senate president.[71] On the same day, Gatchalian was formally elected president of the Senate.

Powers and duties

Senate president Ferdinand Marcos presiding over a plenary session, circa 1964
The gavel of the Philippine Senate, used by the presiding officer.

According to the Rule III, Section 3 of the Rules of the Senate, the Senate president has the following powers and duties:[4]

  • To preside over the sessions of the Senate on the days and at the hours designated by it; to call the Senate to order and, if there is a quorum, to order the reading of the Journal of the preceding session and, after the Senate shall have acted upon it, to dispose of the matters appearing in the Order of Business in accordance with the Rules;
  • To decide all points of order;
  • To sign all measures, memorials, joint and concurrent resolutions; issue warrants, orders of arrest, subpoena and subpoena duces tecum;
  • To see to it that all resolutions of the Senate are complied with;
  • To have general control over the session hall, the antechambers, corridors and offices of the Senate;
  • To maintain order in the session hall, the antechambers, corridors and in the offices of the Senate, and whenever there is disorder, to take appropriate measures to quell it;
  • To designate an acting sergeant-at-arms, if the sergeant-at-arms resigns, is replaced or becomes incapacitated;
  • To appoint the subordinate personnel of the Senate in conformity with the provisions of the General Appropriations Act;
  • To dismiss any employee for cause, which dismissal in the case of permanent and classified employees shall be in conformity with the Civil Service Law; and
  • To diminish or increase the number of authorized personnel by consolidating or separating positions or items whenever the General Appropriations Act so authorizes and the total amount of salaries or allocations does not exceed the amount earmarked therein.

The Senate president is also the ex officio chairman of the Commission on Appointments, a constitutional body within the Congress that has the sole power to confirm all appointments made by the president of the Philippines. Under Section 3 of Chapter II of the Rules of the Commission on Appointments, the powers and duties of the Senate president as its ex officio chairman are as follows:[72]

  • to issue calls for the meetings of the commission;
  • to preside at the meetings of the commission;
  • to preserve order and decorum during the session and, for that purpose, to take such steps as may be convenient or as the commission may direct;
  • to pass upon all questions of order, but from his decision, any member may appeal to the commission; and,
  • to execute such decisions, orders, and resolutions as may have been approved by the commission.

The Senate president also supervises the committees and attended its hearings and meetings if necessary and such committee reports are being submitted to their office.

In joint sessions of Congress, the Senate president presides on behalf of the upper chamber, such as during State of the Nation Addresses, where they traditionally sit to the left of the president on the rostrum.

Residence

The Senate president does not have an official residence in Metro Manila where the Senate is holding its sessions but it maintains a residence (cottage) in Romulo Drive, Baguio City.[73]

Acting Senate president

Sherwin Gatchalian (right) is sworn in by Tito Sotto (left) as the new president pro tempore of the Senate on June 3, 2026. Gatchalian was later designated as acting Senate president.

During the absence of the Senate president, the rules of the chamber provide that the president pro tempore presides over Senate sessions as part of discharging his duties.[74] However, on five occasions in which the Senate president was absent for an extended period (such as during official travel abroad) or had resigned, the Senate designated acting presiding officers to conduct its legislative business.

Since 1930, six senators, including five who were serving as the incumbent president pro tempore[a], have acted as president of the Senate:

Presiding Officer of the Senate Impeachment Court

Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile (left) administers the oath to 22 senator-judges before officially starting the impeachment proceedings of chief justice Renato Corona.

According to Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 6 of the 1987 Constitution, the Senate has the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment.[81] It provides that when the president of the Philippines, after being impeached by the House of Representatives, is on trial and the articles of impeachment have been transmitted to the Senate, the chief justice of the Supreme Court shall preside over the Senate convened as an impeachment court. If an impeachable officer other than the president is on trial, the president of the Senate serves as the presiding officer and casts the last vote on the judgment in accordance with the Senate Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Trials.[82]

Chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. presided over the trial of president Joseph Estrada from December 7, 2000,[83] until January 16, 2001, when several senators voted not to open an envelope containing a letter purportedly proving Estrada's guilt on the charges against him. During the trial of chief justice Renato Corona in 2012, Juan Ponce Enrile served as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, becoming the first president of the Senate to serve in such capacity.[84]

After lengthy debates on the constitutionality of the articles of impeachment filed by the House of Representatives against vice president Sara Duterte, Senate president Francis Escudero was sworn in as presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court on June 9, 2025.[85] However, this occurred prior to a formal trial, as a majority of senators in the 19th Congress voted the following day to remand the articles to the House, effectively halting the proceedings.[86] The Supreme Court later unanimously nullified the complaint against Duterte for violating the “one-year bar rule” in the Constitution regarding the filing of cases against impeachable officers.[87] The Senate subsequently adopted a resolution clarifying that the case was not being closed but merely set aside pending the Court’s resolution of the motion for reconsideration filed by the House.[88] A trial in the Senate would have only proceeded if the Court reversed its decision, directed the Senate to conduct one, and the chamber voted to retrieve the case from the archives and act upon it.[89]

Alan Peter Cayetano, who was elected Senate president on May 11, 2026, was sworn in as the presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court on May 18, when it convened for the trial of vice president Duterte following her second impeachment.[90]

Notes

  1. ↑ The five incumbent presidents pro tempore who have acted as president of the Senate were Sergio Osmeña, Fernando Lopez, Blas Ople, Jinggoy Estrada, and Sherwin Gatchalian.
  2. ↑ After all elected positions in the Senate were declared vacant in the June 2026 Senate leadership shakeup, Gatchalian was elected Senate President pro tempore and became the acting Senate President. There was no election to elect a new Senate president due to the absence of a 13-seat Senate quorum.

See also

Sources

References

  1. ↑ "How much is the salary of the highest elected government officials?". May 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Direktoryo ng mga Ahensiya at Opisyal ng Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas" (PDF) (in Filipino). Department of Budget and Management. 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  3. ↑ Const. (1987), art. VII, § 7 (Phil.).
  4. 1 2 "Rules of the Senate" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines. pp. 8–9.
  5. ↑ Danao, Efren (November 14, 2000). "Drilon ousted in Senate coup". Philstar.com. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  6. ↑ Bordey, Hana (September 25, 2024). "Zubiri: Coup talks in Senate 'normal occurrence' before session breaks". GMA News Online. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Clapano, Jose Rodel (July 13, 2004). "Drilon, Villar agree to term-sharing for top Senate post". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Elemia, Camille (May 21, 2018). "Tito Sotto elected as Senate president". Rappler. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Drilon elected as Senate President". legacy.senate.gov.ph. July 22, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ Peralta-Malonzo, Third Anne (May 20, 2024). "Francis Escudero takes oath as Senate President". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ Cruz, James Patrick (May 11, 2026). "Sotto ousted as Senate president, Alan Cayetano takes over". Rappler. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  12. ↑ Gwekoh, Sol H. (1948). Manuel L. Quezon: His Life and Career; A Philippine President Biography. Manila Philippines: University Publishing Company. p. 81.
  13. ↑ Onorato, Michael P. (1966). "The Jones Act and the Establishment of a Filipino Government, 1916-1921". Philippine Studies. 14 (3): 453. ISSN 0031-7837. JSTOR 42720121.
  14. ↑ Lichauco, Marcial P. (1952). Roxas: The Story of a Great Filipino and of the Political Era in Which He Lived. Manila, Philippines: Kiko Printing Press. p. 201.
  15. ↑ "History of the Senate – Congress of the Philippines (1946-1972)". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  16. ↑ Philippine Electoral Almanac (Revised and Expanded ed.). Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office. 2015. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-971-95551-6-2.
  17. ↑ "History of the Senate – Congress of the Philippines (1946-1972)". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  18. ↑ "List of Previous Senators – Second Congress". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Miércoles, 5 de Marzo de 1952". Congressional Record. III (28). Senate of the Philippines: 392. March 5, 1952. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Jueves, 17 de Abril de 1952". Congressional Record. III (52). Senate of the Philippines: 801. March 5, 1952. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Miércoles, 30 de Abril de 1952". Congressional Record. III (61). Senate of the Philippines: 963. March 5, 1952. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Miércoles, 20 de Mayo de 1953". Congressional Record. IV (78). Senate of the Philippines: 1173. May 20, 1953. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Biography of Senate President Rodriguez". Senate of the Philippines.
  24. ↑ White III, Lynn T. (December 17, 2014). Philippine Politics: Possibilities and Problems in a Localist Democracy. Taylor & Francis. p. 101. ISBN 9781317574224.
  25. ↑ Mustafa, Noralyn (June 18, 2004). "Roseller T. Lim: He stood on Senate floor for 18 hours to stop Marcos but..." Philippine Daily Inquirer. pp. A1, A21. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Who is Gil J. Puyat?". GMA News Online. July 26, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  27. ↑ "History of the Senate - Congress of the Philippines (1946-1972)". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  28. ↑ Maragay, Feliciano V. (July 28, 1987). "Salonga spells out Senate vision". Manila Standard. pp. 1–2. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  29. ↑ Fel V., Maragay (December 13, 1991). "Salonga hangs tough; Gonzales sworn in". Manila Standard. p. 2. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  30. ↑ Maragay, Fel V. (December 13, 1991). "Salonga hangs tough; Gonzales sworn in". Manila Standard. p. 2. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  31. ↑ Elemia, Camille (July 25, 2018). "History repeats itself: Senate had mace-chase almost 30 years ago". Rappler. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  32. ↑ Macaspac, Joem H.; Maragay, Fel V. (October 11, 1996). "16 senators topple Neptali for Maceda". Manila Standard. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  33. ↑ "DID YOU KNOW: 20th death anniversary of Marcelo Fernan". INQUIRER.net. July 11, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  34. ↑ Javellana, Juliet L.; Marfil, Martin P. (November 14, 2000). "Drilon, Villar out; Pimentel, Fuentebella in". Philippine Daily Inquirer. pp. 1, 14.
  35. ↑ Javellana, Juliet L.; Marfil, Martin P. (January 17, 2001). "Senate votes to reject ₱3-B bank evidence". Philippine Daily Inquirer. pp. 1, 16.
  36. ↑ Mendez, Christina (July 24, 2006). "Villar takes over Senate presidency". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  37. ↑ Legaspi, Amita (November 17, 2008). "Villar resigns as Senate prexy; Enrile takes over as new chief". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  38. ↑ Macaraig, Ayee (June 5, 2013). "Enrile resigns Senate presidency". Rappler. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  39. ↑ Santos, Matikas (July 22, 2013). "Drilon is new Senate president". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Pimentel elected new Senate President". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  41. ↑ Rey, Aika (July 22, 2019). "Status quo: Tito Sotto reelected as Senate president". Rappler. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  42. ↑ Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne (July 25, 2022). "'Consensus builder' Zubiri elected as Senate President". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  43. ↑ Peralta-Malonzo, Third Anne (May 21, 2024). "Zubiri cites possible reasons behind his ouster". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  44. ↑ de Santos, Jonathan; Cruz, RG (May 20, 2024). "'I failed to follow instructions': Zubiri steps down as Senate president". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  45. ↑ Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne (May 20, 2024). "Escudero takes Senate helm after Zubiri resignation". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  46. ↑ Fonbuena, Carmela (May 21, 2024). "LIST: 15 senators who voted to oust Zubiri as Senate President". PCIJ.org. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  47. ↑ Ager, Maila (July 28, 2025). "Escudero remains Senate president". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  48. ↑ Ager, Maila (September 8, 2025). "Escudero ousted; Sotto is new Senate president". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  49. ↑ Felipe, Cecille Suerte; Porcalla, Delon (May 13, 2022). "Villar, Romualdez As Next Congress Leaders?". OneNews. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  50. ↑ Cepeda, Mara (June 1, 2022). "Cynthia Villar gives up on Senate presidency, backs Zubiri instead". Rappler. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  51. ↑ Tolentino, Ariel Jerald (February 4, 2026). "Sources: At least 17 senators to back Legarda as new Senate president". Politiko. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  52. ↑ Ombay, Giselle (February 5, 2026). "Lacson: Draft Blue Ribbon report maybe among reasons for Senate coup try". GMA News Online. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  53. ↑ Mangaluz, Jean (February 4, 2026). "Senate coup averted; Sotto stays on as Senate President but…". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  54. ↑ Ager, Maila (February 5, 2026). "Sotto: Legarda eyed to sit as Senate president for 2 to 3 months". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  55. ↑ Laqui, Ian (May 11, 2026). "Pro-Duterte senators' coup: Sotto ousted, Cayetano takes post". Philippine STAR. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  56. ↑ Cahatol, Marilyn (May 11, 2026). "Cayetano is new Senate president, replacing Sotto". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  57. 1 2 3 Locus, Sundy (May 11, 2026). "Tito Sotto out as Senate President, Alan Cayetano in". GMA News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  58. ↑ Locus, Sundy (May 4, 2026). "Erwin Tulfo dismisses Senate coup talks anew". GMA News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  59. ↑ Serquiña, Mariel Celine (May 10, 2026). "Senate coup not answer to stop VP Sara impeachment — Erwin Tulfo". GMA News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  60. ↑ Torregoza, Hannah L. (May 10, 2026). "Sotto on Senate coup: 'I leave it to God!'". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
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