Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780544035734714852694_1533758072132777_1778690640459097982_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, and Robin Padilla, push through with their scheduled hearing, with 18 ex-Marines and their legal counsel as resource persons at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on June 4, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>4th UPDATE</strong>) — A Senate hearing led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday linked President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and members of his family, as well as senators from a rival Senate bloc and opposition figure,s to the alleged kickback scheme involving flood control projects.</p><p>Senators allied with Cayetano on Thursday pushed through with the flood control probe despite Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian&#x27;s pronouncement that the supposed June 4 hearing is postponed.</p><p>The hearing was initially led by Cayetano&#x27;s sister Sen. Pia Cayetano, who is their bloc&#x27;s committee chairman.</p><p>Among those tagged by the so-called former Marines were President Marcos, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Vicente Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo, a host of incumbent and past congressmen including Leila de Lima and members of the Makabayan bloc and even members of the media.</p><p>Baligod told the hearing that the National Bureau of Investigation forced six of the 18 Marines to sign their affidavits without being reviewed by him and that two (Christopher T. Esquivel and Gil Navidad) of the affidavits were used in factual investigation against Romualdez, Co and Paras.</p><p>&quot;Ngunit hindi po ginawa ng NBI yun at anim po sa mga disiotso ay pinilit nilang pumirma,&quot; claimed Baligod. &quot;At doon sa nakapirma, dalawa ang ginamit ng Office of the Ombudsman sa Field Investigation Bureau doon sa kanilang factual investigation concerning former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Zaldy Co at saka si Attorney Raul Paras, &#x27;no?&quot;</p><p>&quot;At naglabas ng isang, ah, complaint ang, ah, opisina na yun ng Ombudsman laban doon sa nabanggit kong tatlo at ginamit po nila yung salaysay na naibigay sa NBI.Yung salaysay ni Ginoong Esquivel at saka ni Ginoong Na-Navidad po.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Yung isa po ay si Christopher T.Esquivel at saka si Gil Navidad&quot;</p><p>Sen. Alan Cayetano said that this procedure could be illegal and Baligod said that he cautioned NBI about this and eventually was not consulted prior to the signing of the affidavits.</p><p>Baligod  also claimed that some affidavits in social media were altered and is being used to file cases against him and the 18 Marines. Baligod confirmed the affidavits submitted to the Ombudsman and to the Committee are the same.</p><p>&quot;Tama po &#x27;yun, Senate President. &#x27;Yun po ang, ah, sinabi ko. I cautioned the NBI investigators about that and, uh, in-admit nila na alam din po nila yun dahil abogado rin sila,&quot; he said. &quot;Kaya ako naman, para hindi nila masabing, ah, obstructionist po ako, ay pinayagan ko po silang interviewhin isa-isa na walang kasamang abogado but with the condition na pag natapos nila bago pirma yung, interviewee ay basahin ko po muna at kasama ako sa pipirma.&quot;</p><p>Baligod also claimed that the statements were manipulated on social media.</p><p>&quot;Mr. Chair, before I, respond to your, request, let me make a statement that, salamat po sa tanong niyo na ito dahil alam ko po na may umiikot noon sa social media na claiming na yun yung affidavit ng disiotso na mga dating sundalo,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;At nakita ko po na maraming mali, may mga dagdag, bawas at yung maling affidavit po na yun ang ginamit ng ilang mga mambabatas sa kanilang reklamong,  libel at cyber libel sa amin.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ILLEGAL OR AUTHORIZED?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Gatchalian, who was elected by a 12-strong bloc as Senate president pro tempore on Wednesday, said that since the hearing is cancelled, its resource persons would be barred from entering the premises.</p><p>Cayetano challenged this pronouncement, saying: &quot;Martial law ba tayo ngayon? Bawal bang magkaroon ng guest? So kung hindi nila ire-recognize ang Blue Ribbon committee, bawal kaming magkabisita dito?&quot;</p><p>His sister Sen. Pia Cayetano and Sen. Robin Padilla fetched from the lobby their resource persons, who are claiming to be former bagmen of ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co.</p><p>Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who was at the Senate on Gatchalian’s invitation, then figured in what appeared to be a shove-off with Padilla.</p><p>During the hearing, Cayetano insisted that he was still Senate president until his replacement could be elected with 13 votes.</p><p>Cayetano also warned that personnel of the Senate who would attempt to block Thursday&#x27;s hearing could face criminal liability. He also noted the absence of some members of the panel.</p><p>But the group led by Gatchalian has insisted that Cayetano was no longer Senate president after all positions were declared vacant on Wednesday. In the same plenary session, Gatchalian was elected as Senate acting chief while Sen. Erwin Tulfo was named chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee.</p><p>Tulfo on late Wednesday evening sent an official notice declaring that the public hearing on flood control initially scheduled for June 4, Thursday, was &quot;postponed until further notice.&quot;</p><p>He said it would be &quot;illegal&quot; for the Cayetano&#x27;s group to proceed with the hearing as &quot;there is already a new Blue Ribbon chairman.&quot;</p><p>In a written advisory, Gatchalian authorized all Senate officers and employees who reported onsite Thursday &quot;to leave the office&quot; from 10 a.m.</p><p>This is &quot;in consideration of the safety, security, and well-being of Senate personnel in light of the anticipated activities within and around the Senate premises,&quot; he said, insisting that &quot;no official business has been scheduled today, June 4, 2026.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>EMPLOYEES IN CROSSFIRE, SPECIAL SESSION EYED</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Gatchalian conceded that employees have been caught in the crossfire. “Maraming mga empleyado tayo na medyo kinakabahan. So we need to assess the situation,” he said.</p><p>Cayetano meanwhile said: &quot;Sinong susundin ng Senate? …Sino ang legitimately elected Senate president? Nasa harap n’yo. So dapat ako ang sundin pero hindi ko pini-pressure ang mga empleyado.&quot;</p><p>Gatchalian bared his group was exploring asking the President to call a special session of Congress to address unfinished business, including pending confirmation of promotions of military generals at the Commission on Appointments.</p><p>“I need to consult our senators first… We also need to coordinate with our counterparts, ang House of Representatives, kung ano ba yung mga natitira nilang mga bills, ano pa yung mga kailangan nilang gawin,&quot; he said.</p><p>Gatchalian added that it is possible for a permanent Senate President to be elected during the special session.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Senators allied with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday pushed through with the flood control probe despite Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian's pronouncement that the supposed June 4 hearing is postponed.</p>

Senators allied with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday pushed through with the flood control probe despite Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian's pronouncement that the supposed June 4 hearing is postponed.

Cayetano-led hearing tags Sotto, Tulfo in flood control mess

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Cayetano-led hearing tags Sotto, Tulfo in flood control mess

Rowegie Abanto,

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 04, 2026 09:48 AM PHT

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Updated June 04, 2026 04:47 PM PHT

Read More:

Sherwin Gatchalian

Blue Ribbon Committee

Flood Control

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