Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was formally elected as the new Senate President of the Philippines during a plenary session on Monday, May 11, 2026. The voting took place with 24 senators in attendance. Cayetano secured 13 votes, enough to defeat Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, who received 9 votes.
Those who voted for Cayetano included his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, and siblings Senators Camille and Mark Villar, in addition to his nine colleagues from the Minority bloc. The nine senators who voted for Senator Sotto were Bam Aquino, Win Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Kiko Pangilinan, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, and Tito Sotto himself. Two senators, JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri, chose to abstain.
Cayetano becomes the fourth Senate President under the Marcos administration. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri served at the start of the administration, followed by Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero in 2024, and Senator Tito Sotto in 2025.
The leadership change comes amid heated discussions on the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. The complaint is expected to reach the Senate for a full impeachment trial if it secures the required one-third vote from the House of Representatives.
