From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines

Second highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines

Summary

Second highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines

Field	Value
post	President pro tempore
body	the Senate of the Philippines
native_name	Pangulong pro tempore ng Senado ng Pilipinas
image	Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson, Senate portrait 2025.png
incumbent	Panfilo Lacson
incumbentsince	September 8, 2025
style	{{plainlist
appointer	Elected by the Senate
termlength	At the Senate's pleasure; elected at the beginning of the new Congress by a majority of the senators-elect, and upon a vacancy during a Congress.
formation
inaugural	Espiridion Guanco
website	Senate of the Philippines
seat	GSIS Building, Pasay
department	Senate of the Philippines

Mister President (when presiding)
The Honorable (formal)}} The president pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines () is the second highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines. During the absence of the president of the Senate, the president pro tempore presides over the Senate.

By tradition, the president pro tempore is elected by a majority vote immediately after the Senate president during the opening of a new Congress, or whenever the position becomes vacant, whether through a motion or the incumbent’s resignation. Although the American custom of electing the most senior member of the majority party as the president pro tempore is not exclusively followed, there have been instances in past Senates when senior members of the majority party have been elected to the position.

The incumbent president pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines is Panfilo Lacson.

Powers and duties

According to Rule IV, Section 4 of the Rules of the Senate, the president pro tempore is mandated to discharge the powers and duties of the Senate president in the following cases:

When the President is absent for one or more days;
When the President is temporarily incapacitated; or
In the event of the resignation, removal, death or absolute incapacity of the President.

Section 20 of Rule X of the Senate Rules also provide that along with the floor leaders, the president pro tempore is an ex officio member of all permanent committees, and may also be elected chairperson of any of the committees.

History

[[Leticia Ramos-Shahani]] was the first woman elected as president pro tempore of the Philippine Senate.

The Philippine Senate did not have a president pro tempore from its establishment in 1916 until the 5th Legislature, when Espiridion Guanco of the Nacionalista Party was elected to the position in 1919. Sergio Osmeña became the first president pro tempore to serve as acting Senate president when Manuel Quezon went ill in 1930. He is also the longest to serve as president pro tempore in Senate history. In 1932, José Clarín acted as the Senate president when Quezon went on leave. Upon Clarín's death in 1935, José Avelino would briefly serve as president pro tempore until the Senate was abolished in favor of a unicameral National Assembly.

The Senate was then restored by the constitutional amendment in 1940, but senators elected in 1941 were not able to assume office due to the outbreak of World War II. Congress would only reconvene by 1945, and Elpidio Quirino was elected as president pro tempore alongside Manuel Roxas as Senate president.

Jose Roy served as the last president pro tempore of the Senate when it was abolished for a second time in 1972 upon the declaration of martial law. Teofisto Guingona Jr. served as president pro tempore of the reestablished Senate from 1987 to 1990, and was succeeded by Sotero Laurel.

In 1993, the Senate elected Leticia Ramos-Shahani as its first female president pro tempore. Ramos-Shahani was the first female lawmaker in history to serve as a deputy presiding officer in either houses of Congress. When Marcelo Fernan resigned the Senate presidency in June 1999 due to failing health, president pro tempore Blas Ople was designated as acting presiding officer, until he himself was elected president nearly a month later. Franklin Drilon was temporarily designated by Fernan as the Senate's officer-in-charge before Ople's return from a trip to Switzerland and his assumption as the chamber's acting president.

Juan Ponce Enrile resigned as Senate president on June 5, 2013. President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada served as acting president until Franklin Drilon was elected president of the Senate on July 22, 2013. Drilon, who had earlier served as president pro tempore under Senate president Koko Pimentel, was later removed from the position along with other Liberal Party senators from their committee chairmanships following a motion by Manny Pacquiao to declare the post vacant. He was succeeded by Ralph Recto, a fellow Liberal and former minority leader, who had previously served as Drilon’s president pro tempore during the 16th Congress.

In June 2022, Juan Miguel Zubiri became the first majority floor leader to concurrently serve as president pro tempore after he was elected to the position to allow the Senate to discharge its administrative functions without interruption while then-Senate president Tito Sotto was nearing the end of his term. Loren Legarda, then the most senior senator in the 19th Congress, was elected on July 25, 2022 as the second female Senate president pro tempore.

On September 8, 2025, Panfilo Lacson was elected president pro tempore of the Senate, the oldest senator in history to assume the position.

List of Senate presidents pro tempore

All senators from 1941 onwards were elected at-large, with the whole Philippines as one constituency. Every president pro tempore of the Senate has been a member of a political party or faction; the number affiliated with each is:

: – 11; – 9; – 3; – 2; – 2; – 1; – 1; – 3.

Portrait	Name
(Birth–Death)	Term of office	Party/Coalition	Senate President	Legislature	Took office	Left office
[[File:Espiridión_Guanco_in_1917.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Espiridion Guanco
Senator for the 8th District
(1874–1925)
July 21,
1919	October 27,
1922	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista	Manuel L. Quezon	5th Legislature
[[File:Senator Sergio Osmeña (1935).png	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Sergio Osmeña
Senator for the 10th District
(1878–1961)
October 27,
1922	July 16,
1934		Nacionalista Unipersonalista	6th Legislature
Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista Consolidado	7th Legislature
8th Legislature
9th Legislature
[[File:José_Aniceto_Clarín.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	José Clarín
Senator for the 11th District
(1879–1935)
July 16,
1934	June 2,
1935	Nacionalista Democratico}};"		Nacionalista Democratico	10th Legislature
[[File:Jose_Avelino_studio_photo.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	José Avelino
Senator for the 9th District
(1890–1986)
June 2,
1935	November 15, 1935	Nacionalista Democratico}};"		Nacionalista Democratico
Senate abolished
(November 15, 1935 – June 9, 1945)}}
[[File:Elpidio R Quirino.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Elpidio Quirino
(1890–1956)
June 9,
1945	May 28,
1946	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista
(until 1946)	Manuel Roxas	1st Commonwealth Congress
Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal
(from 1946)
[[File:Melecio_Arranz.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Melecio Arranz
(1888–1966)
May 28,
1946	December 30,
1949	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	José Avelino	2nd Commonwealth Congress
1st Congress
Mariano Jesús Cuenco
[[File:Senator Quintín Paredes.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Quintín Paredes
(1884–1973)
January 31,
1950	March 5,
1952	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	2nd Congress
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = Esteban_Raymundo_Abada's_passport_application.jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc = 15	crop_right_perc = 15	crop_top_perc =	crop_bottom_perc = 15	Esteban Abada
(1896–1957)
Camilo Osías
Eulogio Rodriguez
[[File:Manuel_C_Briones_(cropped).png	frameless	upright=0.5]]	title=Senators Profile - Manuel C. Briones	url=https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/manuel_briones.htm	access-date=2025-09-15	website=Senate of the Philippines}}	May 7,
1952	April 17,
1953	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista
[[File:Jose_Zulueta_portrait.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Jose Zulueta
(1889–1972)	April 17,
1953	April 30,
1953	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	Camilo Osías
[[File:Manuel_C_Briones_(cropped).png	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Manuel Briones
(1896–1957)
April 30,
1953	December 30,
1957	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista
Jose Zulueta
Eulogio Rodriguez
3rd Congress
[[File:Ferdinand Marcos sitting with Fernando Lopez (cropped).jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Fernando Lopez
(1904–1993)
January 27,
1958	December 30,
1965	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista	4th Congress
5th Congress
Ferdinand Marcos
[[File:Lorenzo_Sumulong.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Lorenzo Sumulong
(1905–1997)
January 17,
1966	January 26,
1967	Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista	Arturo Tolentino	6th Congress
[[File:Camilo_Osias_studio_photo.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Camilo Osías
(1889–1976)
January 26,
1967	December 30,
1967	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	Gil Puyat
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = Senator_Jose_J._Roy.jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc =	crop_right_perc = 20	crop_top_perc =	crop_bottom_perc = 30	Jose Roy
(1904–1986)

7th Congress
Senate abolished
(January 17, 1973 – July 27, 1987)}}
[[File:Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	title=List of Previous Senators - Eighth Congress	url=https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.asp#eighth_congress	access-date=2025-09-15	website=Senate of the Philippines}}	July 27,
1987	July 23,
1990	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	Jovito Salonga	8th Congress
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = The_Honorable_Sotero_H._Laurel_(Senator_of_the_Philippines).png	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc = 25	crop_right_perc = 25	crop_top_perc = 5	crop_bottom_perc = 50	Sotero Laurel
(1918–2009)

[[File:Senator Ernesto Maceda.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Ernesto Maceda
(1935–2016)
January 18,
1992	January 18,
1993	Nationalist People's Coalition}};"		NPC	Neptali Gonzales
9th Congress
[[File:Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Teofisto Guingona Jr.
(born 1928)
January 18,
1993	July 6,
1993	Lakas–CMD}};"		Lakas	Edgardo Angara
Vacant
(July 6, 1993 – July 26, 1993)}}
[[File:Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Leticia Ramos-Shahani
(1929–2017)
July 26,
1993	October 10,
1996	Lakas–CMD}};"		Lakas
10th Congress
Neptali Gonzales
[[File:Blas_Ople_2.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Blas Ople
(1927–2003)
October 10,
1996	July 26,
1999	Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino}};"		LDP
(until 1997)	Ernesto Maceda
Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino}};"		LAMMP
(from 1997)
Neptali Gonzales
Marcelo Fernan	11th Congress
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = The_Honorable_John_Henry_Osmeña_(Senator_of_the_Philippines).jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc = 30	crop_right_perc = 20	crop_top_perc = 0	crop_bottom_perc = 55	John Henry Osmeña
(1935–2021)

[[File:Blas_Ople_2.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Blas Ople
(1927–2003)
April 13,
2000	June 30,
2001	Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino}};"		LAMP	Franklin Drilon
Nene Pimentel
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Manny Villar (2006) (cropped).jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc = 5	crop_right_perc = 20	crop_top_perc =	crop_bottom_perc = 25	Manny Villar
(born 1949)

[[File:Senator_Juan_Flavier_Official_Portrait.gif	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Juan Flavier
(1935–2014)
August 12,
2002	June 30,
2007	Lakas–CMD}};"		Lakas
13th Congress
Manny Villar
[[File:Official photo of Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada (cropped).jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Jinggoy Estrada
(born 1963)
July 23,
2007	June 30,
2013	Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino}};"		PMP	14th Congress
Juan Ponce Enrile
15th Congress
Jinggoy Estrada
(acting)
[[File:Sen_Ralph_Recto.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Ralph Recto
(born 1964)
July 22,
2013	June 30,
2016	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	Franklin Drilon	16th Congress
[[File:JPPFL_Sen._Franklin_Drilon_(cropped).jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Franklin Drilon
(born 1945)
July 25,
2016	February 27,
2017	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal	Koko Pimentel	17th Congress
[[File:Sen_Ralph_Recto.jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Ralph Recto
(born 1964)
February 27,
2017	June 29,
2022	Liberal Party (Philippines)}};"		Liberal
(until 2018)
Tito Sotto
Nacionalista Party}};"		Nacionalista
(from 2018)
18th Congress
[[File:Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (2022) (cropped).jpg	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Juan Miguel Zubiri
(born 1969)
June 29,
2022	July 25,
2022	Independent}};"		Independent
None}}
19th Congress
[[File:Senator Loren Legarda (Comission on Appointments portrait).png	frameless	upright=0.5]]	Loren Legarda
(born 1960)
July 25,
2022	May 20,
2024	Nationalist People's Coalition}};"		NPC	Migz Zubiri
[[File:Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Senate portrait 2025.png	frameless	178x178px]]	Jinggoy Estrada
(born 1963)
May 20,
2024	September 8,
2025	Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino}};"		PMP	Francis Escudero
20th Congress
[[File:Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson, Senate portrait 2025.png	frameless	173x173px]]	Panfilo Lacson
(born 1948)
September 8,
2025	Incumbent	Independent}};"		Independent	Tito Sotto

Unverified or uncertain tenures

Sources claim that at least two senators served as president pro tempore of the Senate for uncertain periods during the Senate presidency of Manuel L. Quezon. It is unclear whether Rafael Palma or Francisco Enage held the position in an official capacity or served in an acting capacity during Sergio Osmeña’s tenure as Senate president pro tempore.

Portrait	Name
(Birth–Death)	Term of office	Party/Coalition	Senate President	Legislature
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = Rafael Palma y Velasquez circa 1915.jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc = 10	crop_right_perc = 10	crop_top_perc = 10
{{Easy CSS image crop	image = Francisco Abella Enage's passport application.jpg	desired_width = 130	crop_left_perc =	crop_right_perc = 15	crop_top_perc = 5

Timeline

Presidents pro tempore who later served as Senate president

President pro tempore	Senate president served under	Year(s) served	Notes
José Avelino	Manuel Quezon	1935	Elected Senate president in 1946
Quintín Paredes	Mariano Jesús Cuenco	1950–1952	Elected Senate president in 1952
Ernesto Maceda	Neptali Gonzales	1992–1993	Elected Senate president in 1996
Blas Ople	Ernesto Maceda
Neptali Gonzales
Marcelo Fernan	1996–1999	Designated acting Senate president in June 1999
Elected Senate president in July 1999
Manny Villar	Franklin Drilon	2001–2002	Elected Senate president in 2006
Juan Miguel Zubiri	Tito Sotto	2022	Designated president pro tempore in June 2022
Elected Senate president in July 2022

Notes

References

"Composition of the Senate".
Magsambol, Bonz. (2025-09-08). "Escudero ousted as Senate president, Sotto takes over".
"Rules of the Senate".
Sembrano, Edgar Allan M.. (2018-07-08). "American-era bridge in Negros Occidental to be demolished".
(1997). "Senate of the Philippines". Senate of the Philippines.
(1935). "Our Delegates to the Constitutional Assembly: English-Spanish". Benipayo Press.
"History of the Senate - Commonwealth Congress (1935-1946)".
"Jose J. Roy".
"Press Release - Senate to honor former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani".
Macaspac, Joem H.. (1999-06-29). "Fernan steps down as Senate chief". Manila Standard.
Calonzo, Andreo. (2013-06-05). "Enrile announces irrevocable resignation as Senate president".
Viray, Patricia Lourdes. (2017-02-27). "LP senators ousted from majority, committee posts".
Peralta-Malonzo, Third Anne. (2022-06-02). "Senate elects Zubiri as OIC Senate President".
Bacelonia, Wilnard. (2022-07-25). "Zubiri, Legarda assume top Senate posts". Philippine News Agency.
Ombay, Giselle. (2025-09-08). "Sotto replaces Escudero as Senate president".
"List of Previous Senators - Fifth Legislature".
"List of Previous Senators - Sixth Legislature".
"List of Previous Senators - Tenth Legislature".
"History of the Senate - Congress of the Philippines (1946-1972)".
"Biography of Senate President Paredes".
"Senators Profile - Manuel C. Briones".
"Official Directory of the Senate of the Philippines". Bureau of Printing.
"List of Previous Senators - Sixth Congress".
"The Philippine Officials Review". M & M Publications.
"Senators Profile - Jose J. Roy".
"List of Previous Senators - Eighth Congress".
(2016-06-23). "Press Release - PRIB: Senate pays last respects to former Senator Ernesto Maceda".
"List of Previous Senators - Ninth Congress".
(2017-03-21). "Press Release - Senate to honor former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani".
"Senators Profile - Blas F. Ople".
"List of Previous Senators - Eleventh Congress".
"Senator Manny Villar".
Nazareno, Rocky. (2002-08-13). "Flavier takes over as Senate pro tem". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
(2007-07-23). "Photo Release - Jinggoy as Senate President Pro Tempore".
Santos, Matikas. (2013-07-22). "Recto is Senate President Pro-Tempore".
Elemia, Camille. (2016-07-25). "It's final: Koko Pimentel is new Senate President".
Elemia, Camille. (2017-02-27). "Senate ousts Drilon, LP senators from key posts".
Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne. "Jinggoy elected Senate President Pro Tempore".
Moaje, Marita. (2025-09-08). "Sotto back as Senate President, vows to fight corruption". Philippine News Agency.
Onorato, Michael. (1964). "Leonard Wood As Governor General: A Calendar of Selected Correspondence, Part 2". Philippine Studies.
(1923-10-21). "TROOPERS PURSUE MORO REBEL CHIEF; He Fled When Invited to Meet the Governor General in Mindanao. WOOD BLAMES FILIPINOS Says Lack of Tact and Graft Caused Mono Outbreak -- Urges Co-operation.". [[The New York Times]].
Onorato, Michael Paul. (1964). "The Democrata Party". Philippine Studies.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

presidents-pro-tempore-of-the-senate-of-the-philippines legislative-speakers-in-the-philippines political-office-holders-in-the-philippines legislative-deputy-speakers

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report