Senator Rodante Marcoleta said on Monday, Sept. 15, that no senator can judge the claims made by Cezarah "Sarah" and Pacifico "Curlee" Discaya as he defended his recommendation to place them under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

In a press conference, Marcoleta stated that it's not for the senators to render judgment on the Discayas' sworn statement.

"Wala pong sino sa amin ang pwedeng mag-judge, not even the Senate President (No one among us has the authority to render judgment, not even the Senate President)," Marcoleta said.

In a recent hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee under Marcoleta's chairmanship, the Discayas alleged that lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials routinely demanded kickbacks of up to 25 percent from government-funded flood control projects, who told them that projects would be stalled unless payments were made.

Aside from that, Marcoleta added that before the Discayas made their sworn statement, he thought it best to make sure that what they were going to do was really voluntary. He asked them to write him, even just a handwritten note, saying that they're doing it voluntarily and explaining why they're doing it.

"Na-satisfy ako doon sa kanyang sulat kaya sabi ko sige sabihin niyo sa kanila gumawa sila ng sworn statement (I was satisfied with his note, so I said, okay, tell them to go ahead and make the sworn statement)," he said.

"Hindi para sa akin na i-judge ang sworn statement, ito will form part of the proceedings na pagdating ng araw ito igagamitin po ng Korte. Mahaba pong proseso ito (It is not for me to judge the sworn statement; it will form part of the proceedings and, in due time, it will be used by the Court. This is a long process)," he added.

According to Marcoleta, no senator, not even the Senate President, can judge the credibility of their sworn statement, adding that their sworn testimony is up for the court's appreciation and they will accept whatever they provide.

To recall, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III declined to sign Marcoleta's request for the Discayas to be placed under the WPP. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson stated that, as per his conversation with Sotto, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla declined the request, citing restitution as a condition.

But Marcoleta argued that restitution is not among the requirements to be placed under the WPP, adding that he had already spoken with Remulla before the Discayas disclosure, who told him that their WPP bid is possible. This, Marcoleta said, was the basis for his recommendation later.

He also stated that he had no time to consult with the other members of the Blue Ribbon panel at that time, as he had no idea they would issue a sworn statement.

"Ayaw kong ilagay sa kamay ko ang kaligtasan nila. Kung hindi ko po ginawa ako po ang nasisi (I don’t want to put their safety in my hands. If I didn’t do it, I would be the one blamed)," he added.

Meanwhile, following his claim that it's not for the senators to judge whether the Discayas' sworn statement is accurate or not, Marcoleta was asked why former Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez was cited in contempt for lying, much like the other resource persons in Senate investigations before.

Marcoleta said that in his case, there were documents to disprove his answers regarding gambling in casinos.