Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III assured on Sunday, November 30 that all documents of the Senate, including those of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee are intact and safe.

Sotto made the assurance after a fire broke out in one of the offices of the Senate in Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officials who responded in the area said the blaze started at the office of the Legislative Technical Affairs Bureau director located at the 3rd floor of the building.

Officials reported that the fire was raised to first alarm at around 6:50 a.m. and reached second alarm at 6:58 a.m. The fire was under control at 7:45 a.m.

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were also no injuries or fatalities that occured as a result of the fire.

Sotto said authorities are currently determining the cause of the fire and the extent of the damages as water used in the suppression efforts leaked down from the affected floor to the Senate session hall.

The Senate is currently holding marathon plenary debates on the proposed 2026 national budget at the session hall. 

“Rest assured that all pertinent Senate documents—including those of the Blue Ribbon Committee—remain intact, safe, and completely unaffected by the fire,” Sotto said. 

“The Senate is closely working with the BFP and internal security to ensure the continued safety of the premises and personnel and to prevent similar incidents moving forward,” the Senate leader said. 

Moreover, Sotto said the Senate’s maintenance team will be working “very hard round the clock” to dry and restore the Session Hall to ensure it is fully ready for Monday’s session.

The Senate leader also floated the possibility of holding sessions temporarily at the nearby Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) if necessary.