Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III denied protecting anyone amid discussions on whether former House Speaker Martin Romualdez may be invited to attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings into the anomalous flood control projects in the country.

In an interview on Bilyonaryo Thursday night, Nov. 6, Sotto was asked if his call with Romualdez might revive speculation that he was shielding the lawmaker. Sotto said he had never done so.

“No, I have never protected anyone. It is not in my nature to do so,” Sotto said.

He explained that the issue of inter-parliamentary courtesy would always arise when a sitting member of the House of Representatives is involved.

“Perhaps, what we could say is that inter-parliamentary courtesy has to be mentioned, no matter what, because he’s a sitting congressman...We have never, and I do not recall, the Senate inviting or issuing a subpoena to any member of Congress from the time that I was senator in 1992 up to the present,” he said.

Sotto added that the Senate only invites House members if they are sponsors of a particular bill.

“We invite members of House if they are the sponsors of any particular bill,” he said.

In the same interview, Sotto was asked how important it would be for former Speaker Romualdez to appear before the Blue Ribbon Committee.

“He’s only been mentioned once. I don’t know. I would not have a fairly good judgment of how important that would be,” Sotto said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson earlier said that he will set the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s next hearing on anomalous flood control projects on Nov. 14, in the event he gets reelected as the panel's chairman once the Senate resumes session on Nov. 10.

Lacson said a "very important witness" will be invited to the hearing to expedite the filing of airtight cases against some politicians, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and erring contractors.