Malacañang has rejected allegations that the filing of cases against several senators was linked to ongoing political tensions and leadership struggles in the Senate.

Speaking in an ambush interview on Monday, June 1, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the investigations involving Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and other lawmakers began long before the current Senate majority bloc was formed.

“Sa ating pagkakaalam, last year pa po nagkakaroon ng imbestigasyon at ang pangalan niya ay nababanggit hindi lang sa pag-iimbestiga sa Senador kundi pati sa House of Representatives (As far as we know, the investigations already started last year and his name was mentioned not only in the Senate investigation but also in the House of Representatives),” she said.

Castro noted that Estrada’s name had also surfaced during inquiries conducted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and in Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s partial report on the flood control controversy.

“Kaya hindi po masasabi na ito ay may patungkol sa pag-form ng majority na binubuo ng 13 (So it cannot be said that this is connected to the formation of the 13-member majority bloc),” she said.

Castro also pushed back against accusations by some majority senators that the administration was weaponizing legal cases for political purposes.

“Is it not the other way around (Di ba baliktad yata)?” she asked.

“Dahil ngayon ang bumubuo halos na majority sila yung mayroong issue (Because now, many of those forming the majority are the ones facing issues),” she added.

According to Castro, the senators involved already had pending issues even before Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano assumed leadership.

“So hindi ba kabaliktaran yung sinasabi baka sila yung namumulitika at hindi ang Ehekutibo (So isn’t it possible that they are the ones politicizing the issue, not the executive branch)?” she said.

The Palace official stressed that the investigations underwent proper legal procedures and were not initiated by Malacañang.

“Tandaan po natin, ang Office of the Ombudsman ay hindi po hawak ng Pangulo (Let us remember that the Office of the Ombudsman is not controlled by the President),” Castro said.

“Independent constitutional body po ito (It is an independent constitutional body),” she added.

Castro explained that the Ombudsman recommended the filing of cases and submitted the information before the Sandiganbayan.

She also emphasized that the judiciary remains independent and is not interfered with by President Marcos or the executive branch.

Meanwhile, Castro commended Estrada for voluntarily surrendering to authorities. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Estrada for a non-bailable plunder and graft case.

“Maganda ang ginawa ni Senator Jinggoy na siya ay boluntaryong sumuko (Senator Jinggoy did the right thing by voluntarily surrendering),” she said.

“Hindi niya na pinahirapan ang mga law enforcers, hindi tulad ng nangyayari ngayon kay Sen. Bato (He did not make things difficult for law enforcers, unlike what is happening now with Sen. Bato),” she added, referring to Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is once again in hiding following the confirmation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for his arrest for his supposed involvement in the alleged extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration’s drug war.

She said voluntary surrender is what should be expected from a person who knows that a valid warrant of arrest has been issued.

Asked how Malacañang could dispute Estrada’s allegation that he was supposedly offered clearance from his cases in exchange for joining the Senate minority, Castro said the burden of proof rests on the senator.

“Bago niyo po kami tanungin, mas magandang siya po muna ang tanungin niyo tungkol sa kanyang mga ebidensya pagtungkol diyan (Before asking us, it would be better if you first ask him about his evidence regarding that allegation),” she said.