Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Erwin Tulfo warned that 18 former Marines, lawyer Levito Baligod and former congressman Mike Defensor must attend the panel’s June 8 hearing or risk being cited in contempt.
Tulfo said notices had already been sent to the invited resource persons, stressing that their attendance is required for the committee’s official proceedings.
“Kailangan po nilang mag-attend dahil kung hindi sila po ay baka ma-issue ng contempt,” Tulfo said in an interview on DZRH.
The senator underscored that Monday’s hearing would be the committee’s official and recorded proceeding, in contrast to Thursday’s gathering led by the Cayetano bloc.
According to Tulfo, the June 4 session cannot be considered a valid Senate hearing because it lacked the presence of the Blue Ribbon Secretariat, stenographers and official recording personnel from the Senate’s Public Relations and Information Bureau.
“Hindi maitatawag na hearing kasi talakayan lang ‘yon, press briefing, forum, definitely hindi hearing ‘yon,” he said.
He added that oaths taken during that session would not be recognized and that the invited witnesses would be required to testify again under oath on Monday.
“Ito [June 8] recorded po ito. Magagamit po ito sa korte,” Tulfo said.
Representatives from the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman have also been invited to the hearing.
Tulfo said the committee aims to conclude its inquiry within a few more hearings before forwarding its findings to the Ombudsman for possible action.
“Oo nag-iimbestiga kami dahil ang sinasabi doon public accountability ng mga government officials. Tama po iyon,” he said.
“Pero yung pag-imbestiga, mag-prosecute na ikaw may kasalanan, ikaw ay ganito, ikaw ay nagkasala sa ganyan, hindi po, ombudsman po yun ang mag-determine noon at saka niya iakyat sa Sandiganbayan,” Tulfo added.
The senator also said he plans to summon officials of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to explain how the rival group was able to enter the Senate plenary hall despite restrictions.
He raised concerns over security lapses, warning that the incident exposed vulnerabilities within the chamber.
“Kailangan natin ma-review ngayon dahil nakakatakot, 22 senators ang nagoopisina roon paano kung lusubin kami ng armadong grupo? Malulusutan sila basta,” Tulfo said.
Despite the incident, Tulfo said Senate leadership had instructed their bloc to allow the Cayetano-led group to proceed, noting that the activity would not carry legal weight without official documentation.
He added that all senators have been invited to attend Monday’s hearing after the committee expanded its membership to include more participants.
