The Senate floor turned tense on Wednesday as lawmakers debated where former Bulacan 1st District assistant engineer Brice Hernandez should be detained.
Hernandez, who earlier linked Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva to alleged kickbacks in Bulacan’s flood control projects, had appealed not to be placed back under the Senate’s custody. Instead, he was brought to the PNP Custodial Center.
But not everyone in the chamber agreed with that move.
Former Blue Ribbon Committee chair Rodante Marcoleta stood firm, saying Hernandez must return to Senate custody.
“We’re not supposed to change the rule… More importantly, we must erase the perception that his life is in danger inside the Senate,” Marcoleta declared.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, defended the decision. He explained that although Hernandez is now in the PNP Custodial Center, the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) still oversees his custody.
“If we leave him with the House, it would be like letting him go,” Sotto stressed, adding that security remains in Senate hands.
The debate grew heated, even forcing a suspension of the plenary session. When talks resumed, tensions lingered. Eventually, Estrada himself filed a motion to move Hernandez to the Pasay City Jail—a proposal that Majority Leader Migz Zubiri supported. No senator objected, prompting Sotto to approve the transfer.
Still, concerns remain. House Committee on Infrastructure co-chair Terry Ridon expressed unease over Hernandez’s move, arguing he would be safer under Senate custody.
Blue Ribbon Committee Under Fire
The controversy didn’t end with Hernandez’s detention. The spotlight also turned to the Senate itself after Hernandez named Beng Ramos, allegedly linked to the Blue Ribbon Committee and Estrada’s office, in the anomalous flood projects.
Newly elected Blue Ribbon chair Panfilo Lacson didn’t take the accusation lightly.
“Maybe I also need to do a simultaneous internal cleansing while buckling down to work,” Lacson said, hinting at a housecleaning within his panel.
Estrada, for his part, strongly denied Ramos was connected to his office.
“No such person has ever been employed much less authorized to act on my behalf,” Estrada clarified.
He admitted that a Beng Ramos works with the Blue Ribbon panel—but only as the girlfriend of one of his staffers, not his aide.
What’s at Stake
The custody issue isn’t just about one man. It’s about power, credibility, and safety.
For senators, keeping Hernandez under their wing protects institutional authority. For Hernandez, however, every move could mean danger after blowing the whistle on alleged kickbacks.
And with the Blue Ribbon Committee itself facing allegations, the unfolding scandal is shaping up to be a test not just of one man’s fate—but of the Senate’s integrity itself.
