Manila, Sept. 9 -- Newly elected Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III on Tuesday said the reorganization of the chamber's leadership was carried out to protect the institution's integrity and allow senators facing allegations to address them outside the Senate.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel's Headstart, Sotto said he and four other senators decided to move for changes in the Senate leadership to preserve the chamber's reputation.

"When we were discussing this, we were thinking about the reputation of the Senate. If our leaders are criticized, the Senate is criticized. That was the trigger. This way, our leaders would have a good chance to address the allegations," Sotto said.

He noted that controversies involving indiv...