Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is once again the Senate president after replacing Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero as head of the upper chamber.

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Monday afternoon made the motion in the plenary to declare the position of the Senate president vacant, which was approved by Escudero.

Zubiri then nominated Sotto whom he described as a “leader of great integrity” to the position, which was seconded by Senator Loren Legarda.

“With Senator Sotto as Senate president, the Senate is in good hands,” Zubiri said.

Then Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada approved the motion after no one objected in the 24-member chamber.

“During my tenure, Mr. President, the Senate did not shy away from confronting the difficult questions facing our nation. We passed a record number of laws that helped uplift the lives of our countrymen.

We conducted hearings that unearthed corruption on a scale rarely seen before. And in doing so, we remind the public that accountability is not a mere empty rhetoric but a duty that we must uphold,” Escudero said.

“I am proud of what the Senate has accomplished together, and I trust that the spirit of transparency and courage that have been displayed by this Chamber will be sustained. Sana po mapapatuloy natin ito (I hope we may be able to continue this). Let justice and the rule of law be done and followed ‘though the heavens may fall,’” he added.

Escudero also congratulated Sotto for his return as head of the upper chamber.

“I wish you well, Mr. Senate President. Nandito lamang po ako bilang ordinaryong miyembro para pagsilbihan at paglingkuran kayo sa anumang kapasidad na pwede at kaya ko bilang bahagi ng Senadong ito,” he said.

(I’m just here as an ordinary member of the Senate to serve you in any capacity that I can.)

For his part, Sotto vows to uphold an independent Senate following his election as Senate President on Monday, September 8, 2025. “You have gifted me the honor of being your Senate President the second time around. 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,” Sotto said.

He noted that corruption is now widely perceived by the public as widespread in government, but stressed that with the political will of those in position, coupled with the vigilance and clamor from the people, transparency and accountability can be achieved for the nation.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, meanwhile, was elected as the new Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Estrada.

Zubiri was also named as the new Senate Majority Leader, replacing Senator Joel Villanueva.

Lacson, Zubiri, and Sotto were all members of the minority bloc, with the latter being the former Senate minority leader.