Tensions inside the Senate escalated on Thursday, June 4, as the Blue Ribbon Committee continued its inquiry into the alleged flood control scandal while competing Senate factions disputed the legitimacy of a leadership reorganization.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies rejected the move by a group of 12 senators who earlier purportedly attempted to reorganize committee leadership and declare several positions vacant. They argued that the effort had no legal effect, insisting that Senate rules require a majority vote of all 24 senators, or at least 13 members, to validly conduct such actions.
At the opening of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Senator Pia Cayetano, who chairs the panel, formally declared the previous day’s gathering “invalid,” stressing that it failed to meet the required quorum and voting threshold.
“Yesterday, a session was purportedly held by 12 senators in which committee assignments were declared vacant and the chairmanship of this very committee was allegedly replaced. I stand before you today to state clearly and unequivocally that session was invalid,” Cayetano said.
She affirmed that the committee retained full authority and defended her decision to form a subcommittee led by Senator Rodante Marcoleta to continue the investigation.
The hearing also opened amid reports that some invited guests and media personnel initially faced difficulty entering the Senate premises. Cayetano reportedly intervened and personally assisted in allowing some individuals into the building after receiving complaints.
Subcommittee chair Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who presided over the proceedings, criticized the absence of several key figures, including former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez, officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and representatives of the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Ang ibig sabihin nito ay mukhang ayaw nilang igalang ang patawag ng komiteng ito,” Marcoleta said.
He further alleged that the absences reflected attempts to block or weaken the Senate investigation into what he described as one of the country’s largest alleged corruption controversies involving flood control projects.
Marcoleta also pointed out that several senators from the opposing bloc had not actively pursued continuation of the inquiry in recent months, and claimed that efforts were being made to suppress the investigation.
During the hearing, he cited a 2025 DPWH referral report reportedly submitted to the Ombudsman involving allegations linked to Romualdez, questioning why no cases had yet been filed before the Sandiganbayan.
For his part, Senate President Cayetano defended the legality of the ongoing proceedings and cited provisions of the Revised Penal Code, which penalize actions that disrupt or obstruct official congressional sessions and committee work.
He reiterated that no valid reorganization had taken place, arguing that Senate officers can only be replaced through a majority vote of all members of the chamber.
“The officers of the Senate shall be elected by a majority vote of all its members. All its members, 13 po ang kailangan (13 are needed),” he said.
Cayetano maintained that incumbent Senate leaders, including himself and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, remain in their positions until duly replaced under proper constitutional procedures.
“So ladies and gentlemen, we will continue to function,” Cayetano said.