MANILA — Senator Rodante Marcoleta said his absence from Monday’s plenary session was a personal decision following the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada on plunder charges linked to alleged congressional insertions and kickbacks involving flood control projects.

In a media report, it said that speaking in an interview with dzBB Super Radyo, Marcoleta said he opted not to attend the session after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla allegedly failed to honor an understanding that Estrada would be escorted outside Senate premises before being arrested.

He also claimed that Remulla raised his voice at Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano during the incident involving the service of an arrest warrant by the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

“Pumayag na si SILG sa pag-uusap pa lang namin. Bababa kami para i-escort lang siya sa labas,” Marcoleta said.

Marcoleta added, “Hindi man lang kami pinagbigyan. Sinigawan nang sinigawan si Senate President. Bakit naman ganoon ang naging pagtrato? Parang minaliit kami,” he added.

The confrontation reportedly stemmed from the implementation of a Sandiganbayan arrest warrant against Estrada inside the Senate, where police read him his Miranda rights.

Marcoleta said his emotions affected his decision not to attend the plenary session, stressing that the absence of the majority bloc was not a collective decision.

“Hindi ako nagpo-protesta. Ang damdamin ko kahapon ang namayani dahil bakit ganito na ang pagtrato sa amin? Minaliit kami masyado… Hindi collective decision,” Marcoleta said.

He also expressed disappointment over minority senators and defended the majority bloc’s absence from Monday’s session.

“Wala man lang pinakita na protesta… 24 kami, dapat walang iwanan. Ang Presidente ng Senado dapat igalang. Meron ba isa sa kanila nagsabi sa SILG na huwag ganoon?” he added.

Estrada had voluntarily surrendered to the PNP-CIDG after the Sandiganbayan issued a second arrest warrant against him for plunder. Remulla later clarified that the senator was arrested inside the Senate and read his Miranda rights.

Following the arrest, majority bloc senators skipped the plenary session, leaving only minority members in the session hall by Monday evening.

Marcoleta said he remained in the Senate complex but chose not to attend the session and added that he would be present in Tuesday’s plenary.

He also criticized the presence of spectators in the Senate gallery during the incident.

“Paano ka naman masisiyahan na pumunta roon? Ang nandoon sa gallery mismo, na reserved sa mga dignitary… Dapat walang ganito. Inimbita nila mismo ang mga iyon. Ano bang gusto nilang palabasin? Ang Senado sa kanila?” he said.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson of the minority bloc criticized Marcoleta’s remarks, pushing back against claims that minority senators should have protested the actions of the Interior Secretary.

“So, kasalanan pa ng minority bloc na hindi nag-protesta dahil sinigawan ang Senate President natin?” Lacson said.

“Actually, laking pasasalamat nga namin na hindi siya binigwasan ni Sec. Jonvic dahil sa inasal niya kahapon. Damn your damdamin,” he added.