'Independent republics' regroup

COMMONSENSE

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

For the third time, Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III assumed as Senate President. Following the traditional transition of leadership, erstwhile Senate president Francis "Chiz" Escudero stepped down after 15 senators, including Sotto, declared vacant the Senate's top post. A veteran lawmaker, Sotto took over as the new Senate president of the 20th Congress.

A shake-up of other Senate posts followed suit. Sen. Panfilo Lacson was elected new Senate president pro tempore, replacing Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, while Sen. Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri was installed as new Senate majority leader, vice Sen. Joel Villanueva.

Sotto's return as Senate President capped his successful comeback in the Upper Chamber after winning in the last midterm elections. Sotto was first elected as Senate minority leader of the 20th Congress. It is now full circle for Sotto. He rose from the ranks at the Senate, so to speak, first as neophyte Senator on his first term in the 9th Congress. Fresh from his stint as vice mayor of Quezon City, Sotto topped the Senate elections in 1992. Re-elected several times at the Senate, he later got elected as Senate majority leader at one time. He first got elected as Senate president in a term-sharing agreement with then Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III in the 17th and 18th Congresses.

As early as over the weekend, a Senate resolution asking Escudero to step down in favor of Sotto was already going around for signature of senators. As far as he knows, Sotto disclosed the first four signatories were Senators Zubiri, Lacson, Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros.

From then on, Escudero's alliance with the same Senate majority bloc who supported his leadership slowly dissipated.