“Hindi tugma ang script.”
Such were the comments from some Filipinos after Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III denied claims that a former Marine had delivered money to him during a supposed Senate hearing on the flood control scandal.
The Cayetano bloc of the Senate, led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, on Thursday, June 4, continued the hearing despite the reorganization the day before, which led to the installation of new Senate committee chairpersons.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC), in the reorganization, had Sen. Erwin Tulfo as its chairperson. The committee is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption and misconduct involving government officials and agencies.
Tulfo had said that the hearing on the flood control scandal was suspended until further notice.
However, senators from the Cayetano-led bloc continued to hold a a so-called hearing not recorded by the Senate, with Sen. Pia Cayetano claiming to be the committee’s chairperson.
Other senators in attendance were her brother, as well as Senators Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla and Rodante Marcoleta.
During the “hearing”, resource persons were invited and introduced as alleged former Marines who identified themselves as the “bagmen” for former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in connection with the flood control scandal.
An individual identified as a former Marine who claimed to have served as Romualdez’s bodyguard has accused Sotto of receiving five suitcases containing P40 million each in 2024, before the 2025 midterm elections.
The allegation was immediately addressed by the veteran lawmaker.
“OMG, noon pa ‘yan, sinabi ko, I will not dignify such because I was not a senator from 2022 to 2025,” Sotto was quoted as saying by TV5 Senior Correspondent Maeanne Los Baños-Oroceo.
“OMG” is short for “Oh My God.”
Sotto returned to the upper chamber only after winning the 2025 midterm polls.
In 2022, he ran for vice president in the national elections as a running mate of Sen. Ping Lacson, but lost to incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte.
“The name they mentioned na EA [Executive Assistant] ko daw na tumanggap ay is Mark. Mark died in 2015, ano ba!” Sotto added.
Sen Sotto’s reply to allegation that a former marine gave delivered money to him:”OMG noon pa yan sinabi ko i will not dignify such because i was not a senator from 2022 to 2025. The name they mentioned na EA ko daw na tumanggap ay is Mark. Mark died in 2015 , ano ba! @news5ph
— Maeanne Los Baños-Oroceo (@maeannelosbanos) June 4, 2026
Sotto’s response drew attention online, with some reacting that the “script” in the supposed “hearing” was poorly researched.
“Ano ba naman ‘yan? ‘Di man lang inayos ‘yung script bago humarap. Ok na din, wala namang bearing ‘yung ‘hearing’ na ‘yan,” an online user wrote.
“[Three] days na nga kayong absent, ‘di man lang kayo nag-check muna ng script niyo,” another Pinoy commented, referring to the absence of senators allied with Cayetano earlier this week.
“Paano pa paniniwalaan ‘tong resource person nila Markubeta, eh pati walang malay na patay, dinamay,” a different X user wrote.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian said that the hearing conducted by the Cayetano bloc was “bogus,” adding that the bloc should respect the Senate’s rules, quorum, and newly constituted leadership.
“The Filipino people deserve senators who show up for work, not for drama,” he said.
The Gatchalian-led bloc said that no official Senate hearings were scheduled on June 4 after the reorganization, citing that a “sine die” adjournment had been declared.
READ: Explainer: What ‘sine die’ means as Senate resumes session
“They have refused to attend legitimately called sessions. Now, they are grandstanding in an unofficial and unauthorized gathering,” they said, referring to the Cayetano-led supposed hearing.
Gatchalian had said that the Senate hearing on the flood control scandal was rescheduled to June 8 to allow Tulfo to review the committee’s work and evidence.
Meanwhile, there is no coverage of the Cayetano-led supposed hearing on the Senate’s YouTube and social media accounts.
