MANILA, Philippines – On May 26, members of the Senate minority walked out after a heated debate over Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to allow senators to participate in plenary sessions online.
Members of the minority bloc questioned the “rushed” process to amend the Senate rules.
“We strongly condemn what appears to be an attempt to rush a major change in the Senate rules, especially when several members of the minority still wanted to speak and raise serious questions on the floor,” the Senate minority said in a joint statement.
On May 28, the Office of the Ombudsman charged Senator Jinggoy Estrada, former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan, and three others, after an investigation revealed that there was an “intricate mechanism” allegedly involving illegal budget insertions and project allocations at the DPWH in 2025.
The following day, May 29, the Sandiganbayan’s 2nd Division issued a warrant of arrest against Estrada and his fellow accused. Estrada and Bonoan appeared before the anti-graft court in the afternoon to post bail of P90,000 for the graft charges.
