MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday defended the Senate’s authority to determine the custody of witnesses cited in contempt and clarified his position on the request to place the Discayas under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).
Speaking during the plenary session, Sotto said that under Senate rules, a witness cited in contempt “may be ordered detained in such a place as may be designated by the committee alone or with the concurrence of the Senate President.” He stressed that the Senate President has the power to approve such transfers.
Sotto said his hesitation to endorse the Discayas for WPP coverage was due to their “incomplete” testimony.
“I heard from the Secretary of Justice that it should be ‘tell all,’ not ‘tell half.’ Why is part of the story missing? You cannot blame me if I do not want to immediately do that,” he said.
He also addressed criticisms that he ordered the return of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez to Senate custody from the Pasay City Jail.
Sotto said the transfer was made upon request and was consistent with the minority’s earlier position.
“That was where the letter was transmitted to the Senate Legal Office representing us in the Writ of Amparo hearing. So the request was to go back to the Senate. I said that was good because that was precisely what the minority members wanted,” he explained.
On the issue of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s leadership, Sotto clarified that its chairman does not need to be a lawyer.
“Nothing in the rules says so. As a matter of fact, we debated about it,” he said.
Sotto downplayed criticisms of his earlier remarks, saying his statements were opinions and should not be taken personally.
“Why would you feel alluded to if I did not mention your name? As far as I’m concerned, when I speak to the media, I give my opinion. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry, but that’s how I see it,” he said.
Sotto reiterated that while his opinions may not sit well with some senators, the Senate must follow the rules.
“If you want to change the rules, then propose an amendment. But for now, we follow what is written,” he said.
He issued the statement after senators in the minority bloc called him out over his statements made to members of the press.
