List of presidents of the Senate of the Philippines

The president of the Senate of the Philippines is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines. The Senate president is second in the line of succession to the presidency, after the vice president and before the speaker of the House of Representatives.Const. (1987), art. VII, § 8 (Phil.).

The office was created in 1916, following the establishment of the Senate to replace the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the bicameral Philippine Legislature. The Senate president is the administrative head of the chamber and the ex officio chairperson of the Commission on Appointments.

The Senate elects a new president by roll call vote when it convenes during the first session of a new Congress, or when the incumbent Senate president dies, resigns, or is removed from office through a leadership coup. A majority of votes cast is required to elect a Senate president.Rules of the Senate, Rule II, § 2 If there is only one nominee for the position, the candidate is elected by acclamation.

Altogether, 27 individuals have served as president of the Senate. The incumbent Senate president is Sherwin Gatchalian, who assumed office on June 17, 2026.

List of Senate presidents All senators from 1941 onwards were elected at-large, with the whole Philippines as one constituency.

Every president of the Senate has been a member of a political party or faction; the number affiliated with each is:

No. Portrait Name Term of office Party/CoalitionLegislature 1Manuel L. QuezonSenator for the 5th District(1878–1944)October 16,1916November 15,1935Nacionalista(until 1922)4th Legislature5th LegislatureNacionalista Colectivista(1922–1925)6th LegislatureNacionalista Consolidado(1925–1934)7th Legislature8th Legislature9th LegislatureNacionalista Democratico(from 1934)10th Legislature colspan="8" 2Manuel Roxas(1892–1948)June 9,1945May 28,1946Nacionalista(until 1946)1st Commonwealth CongressLiberal(from 1946)3José Avelino(1890–1986)May 28,1946February 21,1949Liberal2nd Commonwealth Congress1st Congress4Mariano Cuenco(1888–1964)February 21,1949December 30,19512nd Congress colspan="7" 5Quintín Paredes(1884–1973)March 5,1952April 17,1952Liberal6Camilo Osías(1889–1976)April 17,1952April 30,1952Nacionalista7Eulogio Rodriguez(1883–1964)April 30,1952April 17,19538Camilo Osías(1889–1976)April 17,1953April 30,19539Jose Zulueta(1889–1972)April 30,1953May 20,195310Eulogio Rodriguez(1883–1964)May 20,1953April 5,19633rd Congress4th Congress5th Congress11Ferdinand Marcos(1917–1989)April 5,1963December 30,1965Liberal(until 1964)Nacionalista(from 1964)12Arturo Tolentino(1910–2004)January 17,1966January 26,1967Nacionalista6th Congress13Gil Puyat(1907–1980)January 26,1967January 17,19737th Congress colspan="8" 14Jovito Salonga(1920–2016)July 27,1987January 18,1992Liberal8th Congress15Neptali Gonzales(1923–2001)January 18,1992January 18,1993LDP9th Congress16Edgardo Angara(1934–2018)January 18,1993August 28,199510th Congress17Neptali Gonzales(1923–2001)August 29,1995October 10,199618Ernesto Maceda(1935–2016)October 10,1996January 26,1998NPC19Neptali Gonzales(1923–2001)January 26,1998June 30,1998LDP20Marcelo Fernan(1927–1999)July 27,1998June 28,199911th Congress—Blas Ople(1927–2003)June 28,1999July 26,199921July 26,1999April 12,200022Franklin Drilon(born 1945)April 12,2000November 13,2000LAMP(until 2000)Independent(from 2000)23Nene Pimentel(1933–2019)November 13,2000June 30,2001PDP–Laban24Franklin Drilon(born 1945)July 23,2001July 24,2006Independent(until 2003)12th CongressLiberal(from 2003)13th Congress25Manny Villar(born 1949)July 24,2006November 17,2008Nacionalista14th Congress26Juan Ponce Enrile(1924–2025)November 17,2008June 5,2013PMP 15th Congress — Jinggoy Estrada(born 1963)Acting June 5,2013 July 22,201327Franklin Drilon(born 1945)July 22,2013June 30,2016Liberal16th Congress28Koko Pimentel(born 1964)July 25,2016May 21,2018PDP–Laban17th Congress29Tito Sotto(born 1948)May 21,2018June 30,2022NPC18th Congress30Juan Miguel Zubiri(born 1969)July 25,2022May 20,2024Independent19th Congress31Francis Escudero(born 1969)May 20,2024September 8,2025NPC20th Congress 32 Tito Sotto(born 1948) September 8,2025 May 11,2026 33 Alan Peter Cayetano(born 1970) May 11,2026 June 3,2026 Independent — Sherwin Gatchalian(born 1974) June 3,2026 June 17,2026 NPC 34 June 17,2026 Incumbent

Senate presidents by time in office RankNameTime in officeTE1; 1919; 1922; 1925; 1928; 1931; 1934210 years, 307 days; 1953; 1954; 1956; 1958; 196038 years, 104 days; 2001; 2004; 20134; 1968; 1970; 197254 years, 285 days; 2019; 20256; 201078; 19529(tie); 1948; 196411; 1995122 years, 197 days (2); 1995; 199813; 200714(tie)16; 202517181920212223242526 days; 19532627

Timeline

Notes

See also List of President of the Senate of the Philippines elections Floor leaders of the Senate of the Philippines List of current presidents of legislatures

References