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Advocates Philippines
Sotto: No Term-Sharing With Legarda; Senate Presidency Set For 2028
Photo credit: Senate PH
Senate President Vicente Sotto III clarified on Thursday that there is no formal term-sharing agreement between him and Senator Loren Legarda, despite recent rumors circulating in the Senate lounge.
The clarification came after Senator JV Ejercito mentioned that a term-sharing plan had been discussed among several senators, sparking speculation that Legarda could replace Sotto as Senate President before the end of his term. Present in the lounge at the time were Sotto, Ejercito, Senators Ping Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Kiko Pangilinan, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino.
Sotto emphasized that while there are plans to elect Legarda as the first female Senate President, this is expected to happen after the 2027 national budget is completed, targeting 2028 — before the end of her current term.
“This cannot be called ‘term-sharing’ because term-sharing means splitting the term equally, like serving a year and a half each or one year each as Senate President,” Sotto said, clarifying that the discussion in the lounge was not about an immediate rotation of leadership.
Senator Legarda herself remained cautious, noting she was unaware of any formal term-sharing arrangement or plans to install her as the next Senate chief.
The remarks come amid ongoing speculation about Senate leadership dynamics, but Sotto’s statement appears to put to rest rumors of an early power shift, reaffirming his current role while signaling a historic milestone for Legarda in the years ahead.
This clarification reinforces that any future changes in Senate leadership will follow official processes and timelines, not informal discussions or social media chatter.
The clarification came after Senator JV Ejercito mentioned that a term-sharing plan had been discussed among several senators, sparking speculation that Legarda could replace Sotto as Senate President before the end of his term. Present in the lounge at the time were Sotto, Ejercito, Senators Ping Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Kiko Pangilinan, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino.
Sotto emphasized that while there are plans to elect Legarda as the first female Senate President, this is expected to happen after the 2027 national budget is completed, targeting 2028 — before the end of her current term.
“This cannot be called ‘term-sharing’ because term-sharing means splitting the term equally, like serving a year and a half each or one year each as Senate President,” Sotto said, clarifying that the discussion in the lounge was not about an immediate rotation of leadership.
Senator Legarda herself remained cautious, noting she was unaware of any formal term-sharing arrangement or plans to install her as the next Senate chief.
The remarks come amid ongoing speculation about Senate leadership dynamics, but Sotto’s statement appears to put to rest rumors of an early power shift, reaffirming his current role while signaling a historic milestone for Legarda in the years ahead.
This clarification reinforces that any future changes in Senate leadership will follow official processes and timelines, not informal discussions or social media chatter.
Feb 5, 2026
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