The bloc of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano pushed through Thursday with its flood control inquiry despite an advisory from Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian that no committee hearings were scheduled for the day.
Cayetano said his group would proceed because it did not recognize Gatchalian’s advisory. Senators Pia Cayetano, Robin Padilla, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta and Loren Legarda attended the hearing, which the bloc said had a quorum.
The inquiry focused on claims by 18 former Marines who alleged that they worked for former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and were tasked to deliver cash-filled suitcases to lawmakers and other public figures in connection with alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Among those named in the testimony were former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Sen. Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, Reps. France Castro, Arlene Brosas and Tonchi Tinio, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Rep. Terry Ridon, Fr. Flavie Villanueva and allegedly President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
One witness, Belnard Tube, claimed Co delivered money to Marcos at the President’s residence in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, where the former lawmaker allegedly had dinner with him in 2022.
Sotto denied the allegation, saying he was not a senator from 2022 to 2025 and that the supposed aide named in the testimony had died in 2015.
“I will not dignify such because I was not senator from 2022 to 2025. The name they mentioned na EA ko daw na tumanggap ay si Mark. Mark died in 2015,” Sotto said in a message to reporters.
Tulfo also denied the claim.
Another witness, Johnny Buduan, alleged that small luggage could hold around ₱25 million, medium luggage ₱40 million to ₱50 million, and large luggage ₱50 million to ₱70 million. He claimed deliveries were made three to four times a week when Co chaired the House Committee on Appropriations.
Lawyer Levito Baligod said photos, videos and screenshots allegedly linked to the deliveries would be submitted to the Senate for forensic examination.
Before the hearing, tension broke out after Padilla and Pia Cayetano escorted the former Marines from the Senate lobby to the session hall.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who was at the Senate upon Gatchalian’s request to help ensure security, met the group near the elevator area. The encounter turned physical, with Remulla and Padilla seen shoving each other as the former Marines tried to proceed to the hearing venue.
The rival Solid Bloc-12 condemned the proceeding as a bogus hearing, saying it had no basis in the Senate rules, calendar or duly recognized leadership.
“The Senate’s mandate is to uphold the Constitution, check abuses, and pass laws. We urge our colleagues to abandon this bogus ‘hearing,’ respect the rules, the quorum, and the duly constituted leadership of the Senate,” the bloc said.
The group accused Cayetano’s bloc of staging an unauthorized political spectacle after refusing to attend official sessions.
Gatchalian earlier allowed Senate employees to leave their offices starting 10 a.m. for safety and security reasons. He also maintained that no committee hearings were scheduled for the day, including the flood control inquiry.
Marcoleta defended the hearing, saying the public deserved to know how government funds were allegedly spent.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, named by the rival bloc as the new Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, earlier said the hearing had been moved to June 8 to allow the committee to vet the invited resource persons.