Senate Minority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III firmly denied allegations linking him to efforts to push charter change, stressing that he has “never been in favor” of amending the Constitution.

Sotto made the statement during the Senate plenary session as he seconded the motion of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri to remove from official records the video presentation shown during the privilege speech of Senator Imee Marcos.

“I have never been in favor of cha-cha. Never,” Sotto said. “Ang mas gusto ko, cha-cha. C-H-A, C-H-A. Not charter change. Ang kailangan natin, character change.”

The veteran lawmaker objected to being mentioned in the video presentation, saying it falsely implied he supported alleged moves for constitutional amendments and a term extension.

Sotto clarified that while he had heard various political ideas and proposals during meetings with lawmakers and allies, hearing such discussions did not mean he agreed with them.

“I heard the proposals. I never brought it up to my colleagues. I have nothing to do with the allegations of cha-cha,” he stressed.

He also denied claims that he supported raising the age requirement for presidential candidates, saying he merely suggested lowering the minimum age requirement to align with standards in countries like the United States.

The senator further dismissed allegations that meetings with former House Speaker and now-Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other politicians were connected to charter change discussions, explaining that many of the gatherings were informal conversations among political allies and golfing friends.

According to Sotto, discussions cited in the video were taken out of context and made to appear “sinister.”

“I vehemently deny [the allegations]. Definitely. I have nothing to do with that,” he said.

The issue stemmed from Marcos’ privilege speech, where she warned of alleged moves to pursue charter change, term extensions, and the possible postponement of the 2028 elections. Her presentation drew immediate objections from several senators, including Zubiri, who described the video as a “propaganda tool” that undermined the integrity of the Senate.