Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, are currently outside the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed Thursday.
The BI said its records showed that neither senator faced any legal restriction that would have prevented them from traveling abroad when they departed the country.
“Based on BI records, there were no hold departure orders or derogatory records against the two senators, as of departure date, that would legally prevent them from leaving the country,” the agency said.
The immigration bureau declined to provide additional information about the lawmakers’ trip, including their destination and the dates of their departure, citing the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
The BI’s statement followed remarks by Senate President Win Gatchalian, who earlier said he had not yet verified reports that the Cayetano siblings had traveled to Singapore.
In a radio interview with DZRH, Gatchalian explained that senators do not need to seek permission or submit a formal travel notice when going abroad for personal or private purposes, as long as they can return to attend Senate sessions and committee hearings.
He clarified that a travel authority applies only to official government-related trips and is not required for private travel.