MANILA, Philippines —The ouster of former Senate president Vicente Sotto III and the changes in the chamber had everything to do with the direction the chamber took in addressing the country’s urgent problems, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said.
The senator said the change in Senate leadership was not due to the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Cayetano cited the need for proper attention and solutions to the flood control scandal, rising prices, the oil and energy crises, farmers’ productivity, education, corruption, and public trust in government.
These concerns should remain at the center of the Senate’s work, Cayetano said during a Facebook livestream on Saturday.
He said the Senate still has "much work to do for the country, including finding ways to address the economic burden on Filipinos."
Cayetano proposed that all government departments implement 10-percent savings. He said the government should cut unnecessary expenses before considering new taxes.