SENATE MINORITY Leader Franklin M. Drilon, in a statement on Sunday, said freshmen senators believed to be moving to replace Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III should “(s)tudy lawmaking first before meddling in (the) Senate leadership.

“Sana mag-aral po muna ‘yung mga baguhan. Sasabihin ko nang diretso, bilang isang neophyte, ‘yung pagpapalit ng liderato ng Senado ay malayo pa sa mandato natin iyan,” Mr. Drilon said in his statement, as also quoted from a radio interview on Sunday. (The incoming senators should study first. I will say it directly, the leadership change is far from our mandate).

“We should work first and show our people that we are worth the mandate that we received from them,” Mr. Drilon, himself a former Senate president, also said.

“Unless Senator Sotto committed a mortal sin, I don’t think any senior senator will care to listen to a neophyte senator if he or she moves to campaign for a change of leadership.”

The statement also paraphrased Mr. Drilon as saying that the Senate’s leadership will be decided by the Senate and not Malacañang.

“His [Mr. Sotto’s] leadership has been good. He treats everyone fairly. He knows that he is the President of the Senate and not just of the majority and he listens to every one,” Mr. Drilon said.

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