Senate President Vicente Sotto III believed the upper chamber was not demoralized even after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) recommendation to file criminal and administrative charges against several individuals, including two senators, over suspected ‘ghost’ flood-control projects.
‘No. As long as we’re doing our work. That’s the most important thing,’ he said, noting that passing a clean 2026 budget is the ‘single most important piece of legislation’ they need to pursue.
The ICI had earlier recommended filing charges against several personalities, including Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva.
This came after the commission received the affidavits and corroborating evidence from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara, and former DPWH Bulacan Assistant District Engineers Brice Ericson Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza.
‘We have yet to see how it evolves.that’s just what we heard in the news.it’s very difficult to react to something that is not concrete yet,’ Sotto said at the sidelines of the formal turnover of a fully equipped Mobile Clinic to the Senate on Wednesday.
Pressed further on how the Senate leadership is looking at it following speculations that it was an attack against the Senate, he said: ‘I don’t look at it. I concentrate on my work as a Senate president.’
‘You can take it whatever way you want.that’s how it goes. There are those who will think of it as this or that, and there are those who will think about it badly. You can’t avoid it,’ added Sotto.
But what if warrants of arrest are issued against senators allegedly involved?
‘We’ll cross the bridge when we get there. There are legal means, there are ways. There are laws and legal ways we should handle things. Everything should be by the book or by the law,’ said the Senate leader.