Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III announced that former officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways contractor Curlee Discaya and Bureau of Customs official Juan San Andres will remain in Senate custody through Christmas and the New Year due to contempt related to the flood control and agri-smuggling probe.
In a chance interview on Thursday, December 11, Sotto clarified that the Senate’s power to hold individuals in contempt lasts until June 2028
“Until June 2028 because that is what the Supreme Court says—our contempt power lasts until the committee report is completed or until the current Congress ends,” he said.
He assured that detainees will be allowed to receive visitors and that they will be given noche buena during the holiday season.
However, he noted that no requests have been filed for temporary holiday releases.
“Walang request right now, yung dating request is ‘yung umuuwi para kumuha ng documents para i-surrender,” he added.
(There’s no request right now; the previous request was for them to go home to retrieve documents for surrender.)
When asked about the noche buena provisions for the detainees, Sotto reiterated that the Senate would provide these items for them.
He emphasized that individuals cited for contempt would remain in Senate custody until their inquiries are concluded unless a court issues a warrant, as consistent with Supreme Court guidance that legislative contempt remains until the committee submits its report or until the end of Congress.
Among those held in the Senate detention facility are DPWH officials Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, and Jaypee Mendoza.
