00:00Senator Cheez Escudero stays on as Senate President as he secures the votes of 18 other senators of the 20th Congress, which officially opened Monday, July 28.
00:11Returning Senator Tito Soto, who challenged Escudero for the Senate presidency, is voted minority leader by the four senators in the minority bloc.
00:19Escudero's win is no surprise. Observers say his actions that delay the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte were largely aimed at getting the support of pro-Duterte senators.
00:29Senator Joel Villanueva will lead a committee on rules, making him the majority leader.
00:34Meanwhile, returning Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan have officially joined Escudero's so-called supermajority bloc.
00:41This drew Aquino and Pangilinan flack from some of their supporters, who expected them to join the minority, having been stalwarts of the opposition.
00:48Some observers, however, said that Aquino's and Pangilinan's move was strategic as it allows them to lead the committees on education and agriculture respectively.
00:56This would then allow them to deliver on their campaign promises.
00:59Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Ontiveros joins the minority bloc, which also includes Senators Loren Legarda, Ping Lakson, and Mig Zubiri.
