(POLITIKO) Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa want the Senate to investigate Politiko’s report that they and seven other lawmakers allegedly wanted Vice President Sara Duterte’s P615-million confidential fund reinstated.
Estrada and Dela Rosa both appeared livid as they spoke in the plenary to decry the supposed leak of information from the senators’ caucus on Monday (November 6).
“I do not know who of our colleagues scooped or leaked our conversation to this media outlet. I have been a senator here for more than 10 years and this is the first time that I encountered a scoop or a leakage. This is a violation of our rules,” Estrada said during Tuesday’s (November 7) session.
He clarified that there was no voting that took place among senators during the caucus on who was in favor of restoring Duterte’s confidential funds.
Aside from Estrada and Dela Rosa, Politiko reported that the following senators allegedly wanted to undo the House of Representatives’ decision to realign Duterte’s confidential funds under the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget: Robin Padilla, Christopher “Bong” Go, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, Cynthia Villar and Pia Cayetano.
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Meanwhile, Politiko learned from an Iskooper that Senators Sonny Angara, Aquilino Pimentel III, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Escudero and Raffy Tulfo reportedly want Duterte to be stripped off the confidential funds, which are lodged in the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education.
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Estrada told Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri in the plenary that the identity of Politiko’s source must be revealed.
“Tumayo po ang po ako dito dahil masamang masama po ang loob ko. I really felt insulted. And I think my other colleagues also felt the same way, Mr President. And Mr. President, I stand before you and I want to make recommendation, summon and asked them who among us violated our rules, who among us who leak what transpired in our executive session yesterday,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the Senate committee on ethics and privileges should handle the investigation.
“I support the call of Senator Estrada that yung source nitong news na ito, if it is PolitikoSkoop, he has to be called before a hearing para malaman, malaman natin kung sino ang source niya. At kung hindi siya magsasabi ng totoo, I will be the first one to move to cite in contempt. Ikulong natin yan kung ayaw magsabi ng totoo,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the supposed leak of information from the caucus—even if it wasn’t an executive session—creates distrust among senators.
“Ibig sabihin the next time around that we are going to have our next caucus o executive session, hindi na ako basta basta magsasalita, baka mamaya meron na namang mali-leak sa media. So pangit po, 24 lang ang taong nandito na senador, at hindi pa natin mapagkatiwalaan ang isa’t isa,” he said.