FACT-CHECK: Marcoleta is not the newly elected Senate President

Jul 20, 2025 | Fact Checked by PressOnePH

CLAIM: Rodante Marcoleta is the new Senate President.
 
RATING: FALSE

 

A YouTube video falsely claimed that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta is the new Senate president after Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri ousted Sen. Francis Escudero in the position, has circulated online.

Flagged Content: The video was posted by “Pinas News Insider” to the video platform on July 9, 2025.

  • The video has a caption that says, CONFIRMED! GOODNEWS! MARCOLETA may Malaking Pasab0g sa SENAD0? ZUBIRI mga SENADOR Senibak si KILAY?
    (“CONFIRMED! GOOD NEWS! Marcoleta Has a Major Revelation in the Senate? Zubiri and Senators Removed ‘Kilay’?”)
  • It also has thumbnail text that reads, NEW SENATE PRESIDENT? ZUBIRI SINEBAK NA SI ESCUDERO SA PWESTO? MARCOLETA LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!
    (“NEW SENATE PRESIDENT? ZUBIRI OUSTED ESCUDERO FROM THE POSITION? MARCOLETA: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!”)

Our Debunk: The  erroneous video ascribes a lofty position to Marcoleta when the 20th Congress ascribes a lofty.

  • There is no new set of Senate leaders yet. According to the 1987 Constitution, the Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July. The 20th Congress is set to open on July 28
  • Senate rules stipulate the process of electing its own president. A simple, majority vote of all its members is needed to secure the Senate presidency. 
  • The Senate has not yet elected its new set of leaders.

Motive:  The 20th Congress will convene on July 28. As the day draws near, people speculate on who the new leaders of the Senate will be. The video was making overtures about its support for Marcoleta to be the next Senate president.

  • Marcoleta is one of the 12 newly elected senators following the 2025 polls.
  • Zubiri was ousted from the Senate leadership by Escudero in 2024.

Why we’re fact-checking this: The video has generated huge engagement numbers:

  • 199,000 views
  • 11,000 likes
  • 1,039 comments

What happens next: The 20th Congress will open on July 28. Only then will both the House of Representatives and the Senate elect their new set of leaders.  Marybeth Realba


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