List of President of the Senate of the Philippines elections

This is a list of elections for president of the Senate of the Philippines, otherwise known as the "Senate President", the presiding officer of the Senate of the Philippines.

The Senate president is always elected on the first day of convening of Congress after a Philippine Senate election by all members of the Senate. A "Senate coup", or a motion of no confidence, or declaring the presidency as vacant, or a resolution containing the signatures of a majority of senators supporting another senator as Senate president, may happen mid-term and requires for an election.

From 1941 to 1972, a Senate presidential election is held at the opening of each session immediately following a senatorial election.

Manuel Roxas was elected Senate president in 1945.

In the convening of Congress in May 25, 1946, senators from the minority walked out of session after the majority argued that a majority vote shall be enough to organize itself. The minority senators led by Tomas Confesor, insisted that the rules of the pre-World War II Senate should apply.^[1] José Avelino was later elected Senate president and read out the result of 1946 Philippine presidential election, during the inauguration of Manuel Roxas.^[2]

The United States granted the Philippines independence on July 4, 1946, and the 2nd Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines became the 1st Congress of the Republic of the Phllippines.

Avelino retained the Senate presidency at the opening of the third regular session of the 5th Congress.

In February 22, 1949, Senate president Avelino and nine of his supporters walked out of session. After they left, the remaining twelve senators ousted Avelino and elected Mariano Jesús Cuenco as Senate president. Avelino branded the subsequent session, his ouster and Cuenco's election as illegal, while President Elpidio Quirino recognized Cuenco as the new Senate president.^[3]

Cuenco was reelected at the convening of the 2nd Congress.

At the resumption of session after the 1951 Philippine Senate election, the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party had 12 senators each, and the Senate was deadlocked. After 35 days, Felisberto Verrano of the Nacionalista Party crossed the floor and broke the tie for the Liberals, electing Quintín Paredes as Senate president.^[4]

Camilo Osías won a Senate presidential election, ousting Paredes.

Eulogio Rodriguez won a Senate presidential election, ousting Osías.

Camilo Osías won a Senate presidential election, ousting Rodriguez.

Jose Zulueta won a Senate presidential election, ousting Osías.

Eulogio Rodriguez won a Senate presidential election, ousting Zulueta.

Rodriguez retained the Senate presidency at the convening of the 3rd Congress.

In the opening of the third regular session, Senate president Eulogio Rodriguez was nominated by Decoroso Rosales, then was seconded by Soc Rodrigo. Cipriano Primicias Sr. then moved that the nomination be closed and was approved, reelecting Rodriguez anew.

Rodriguez retained the Senate presidency at the convening of the 4th Congress.

Rodriguez retained the Senate presidency at the opening of the third regular session of the 4th Congress.

Rodriguez retained the Senate presidency at the convening of the 5th Congress.

Ferdinand Marcos won a Senate presidential election, ousting Rodriguez.

Marcos retained the Senate presidency at the opening of the third regular session of the 5th Congress.

Arturo Tolentino won the Senate presidency at the convening of the 6th Congress after Marcos was elected president in the 1965 Philippine presidential election.

Gil Puyat won a Senate presidential election, ousting Tolentino. Puyat asserted a term-sharing deal which President Marcos acknowledged, something that was denied by Tolentino.

Puyat retained the Senate presidency at the opening of the third regular session of the 6th Congress.

Puyat retained the Senate presidency at the convening of the 7th Congress.

Puyat retained the Senate presidency at the opening of the third regular session of the 7th Congress.

President Marcos declared martial law on September 23, 1972. A constitution was then approved in a 1973 plebiscite which dissolved Congress, including the Senate.

After winning the 1986 Philippine presidential election, President Marcos fled the country at the height of the People Power Revolution in February 1986. Corazon Aquino, who also claimed to have won the election, ascended to the presidency. A new constitution approved in a 1987 plebiscite restored Congress, including the Senate.

On the inauguration of the restored Senate, only 23 senators were present, as the 24th and final senator was still undetermined due to delays in tallying of votes. Jovito Salonga was elected Senate president.^[5]

In December 1991, Salonga, agreeing that there was no quorum, adjourned the session. Later that morning, a rump session of 13 senators (the smallest number that can constitute a quorum) elected Neptali Gonzales of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), while the pro-Salonga senators were meeting in his office.^[6]

On the opening of the 9th Congress, Gonzales was reelected as Senate president via acclamation, with only Arturo Tolentino abstaining.^[7]

In January 1993, Gonzales resigned from the Senate presidency after renegade members of the LDP and Lakas–NUCD senators elected Edgardo Angara as new Senate president.^[8]

Angara was elected Senate president in the convening of the 10th Congress.^[9]

A month later, Gonzales mustered enough support to force an election against Angara on which the former won.^[10]

In October 1996, admitting that he had lost the support the majority of his peers, Gonzales resigned as Senate president. Ernesto Maceda, upon support from his Nationalist People's Coalition, Angara, and a couple of independent senators had him elected as Senate president without an opponent. While 16 senators signed the resolution supporting Maceda, only 13 were present on the actual nomination and election.^[11]

In January 1998, Gonzales won a Senate presidential election.

Marcelo Fernan was elected Senate president at the convening of the 11th Congress.

Fernan resigned the Senate presidency on June 1999, and died days later. Blas Ople succeeded Fernan being Senate president pro tempore.

Ople resigned due to a term-sharing agreement with Franklin Drilon. On April 13, 2000, Drilon was elected Senate president via unanimous vote after Teofisto Guingona Jr. withdrew his candidacy after being nominated by Robert Barbers.^[12]

With the impending impeachment trial of president Joseph Estrada, Drilon was ousted in November 14. Drilon had previously anti-Estrada protests a week before, and had resigned on the Lapian ng Masang Pilipino. Juan Ponce Enrile motioned to declare all leadership positions vacant, which was sustained by a vote of 12–7. On the ensuing election between Pimentel and Guingona, and where candidates traditionally abstained or vote against each other, saw Guingona abstain and Pimentel voting for himself. If Pimentel did not vote for himself, no one would have won the election.^[13]

At the convening of the 12th Congress, Pimenel and Drilon were the candidates for the election. Drilon won 13–11, with the balance of power on neophyte and independent senator Noli de Castro.^[14]

At the convening of the 13th Congress, Drilon defended the Senate presidency against Pimentel, and entered a term-sharing agreement with Manny Villar.^[15]

Drilon resigned in the opening of the third regular session in 2006; he then nominated Villar to be his successor. Villar was then elected by acclamation.^[16]

Villar was retained as Senate president on the convening of the 14th Congress, defeating Pimentel.^[17]

On November 2008, Villar resigned as president on the heels of the C-5 Road Extension controversy. Juan Ponce Enrile replaced him.^[18]

Enrile defended the Senate presidency at the convening of the 15th Congress, defeating Alan Peter Cayetano.^[19]

Franklin Drilon was elected Senate president at the convening of the 16th Congress, defeating Enrile.^[20]

Koko Pimentel, son of Nene, was elected Senate president at the convening of the 17th Congress, defeating Ralph Recto.^[21]

In May 2018, on a basis of a term-sharing agreement, Pimentel resigned and nominated Tito Sotto on the basis of a resolution signed by 15 senators supporting the latter.^[22] Sotto was elected by acclamation, although Franklin Drilon manifested before the vote that the minority members (of which three, excluding him, answered the roll call) were abstaining.

Sotto retained the Senate presidency at the convening of the 18th Congress.^[23] Sotto was the sole candidate, and Drilon manifested that he, Risa Hontiveros, and Kiko Pangilinan abstained on the vote.

Migz Zubiri was elected Senate president at the convening of the 19th Congress. Zubiri was elected by acclamation, but Risa Hontiveros and Koko Pimentel later manifested they had abstained, while Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano manifested that they had not voted for Zubiri.^[24]

Zubiri resigned from the Senate presidency on May 2024. Francis Escudero was then elected unopposed to succeed him. Pimentel later manifested that him and Hontiveros abstained on Escudero's election.^[25]

Francis Escudero was reelected as Senate president on July 28, 2025 with 19 senators in favor, winning over former Senate president Tito Sotto who gained support from only 5 senators.^[26]

• List of Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives elections