Sen. Risa Hontiveros congratulated her colleagues at the Senate minority bloc after Sens. Tito Sotto and Ping Lacson assumed new roles at the upper chamber on Monday, September 8.
Sotto returned to the Senate presidency after securing enough votes to assume the third-highest position in the government, as the Senate probes the alleged anomaly in flood control projects.
Before this, he was the Senate Minority Leader.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chiz Escudero, who was reelected as Senate President just over a month ago, has been under fire for his connections to top government contractor Lawrence Lubiano, who is also his top campaign donor.
Escudero has also been subjected to intense scrutiny for his handling of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Lacson, Sotto’s running mate in the 2022 presidential elections, was also elected as Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.
The Senate President Pro Tempore presides over the upper chamber when the Senate President himself is absent.
Sen. Migz Zubiri, Deputy Senate Minority Leader, also replaced Sen. Joel Villanueva as the new Senate Majority Leader.
Hontiveros dedicated a post as Sotto and Lacson assumed new roles at the Senate on September 8.
“CONGRATULATIONS, Senate President Tito Sotto [and] Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson! Tiwala ako sa pamumuno ninyo,” she wrote on Facebook with emojis of a thumbs up and the Philippine flag.
Sotto has previously demanded stronger laws in flood control projects following the alleged anomalous initiatives, as the country experiences flooding this rainy season.
Lacson, on the other hand, detailed how corruption occurs in such projects in his privilege speech. — with reports from Philstar.com/Jean Mangaluz
