Defensor denies usurpation claim, says corruption whistleblowers facing pressure

Former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor on Tuesday defended his role in a controversial public hearing featuring alleged former aides of ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, rejecting claims that he had improperly assumed Senate authority and asserting that individuals speaking out on alleged corruption are being subjected to legal pressure.

Responding to the controversy, Defensor said he never represented himself as a senator nor claimed authority to convene a Senate hearing on his own.

“Never kong kinlaim na ako ang senador o ang nagpapatawag ng hearing,” he told reporters.

Questions about the proceeding's legitimacy surfaced after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian raised concerns over whether it had been properly authorized as a Senate activity, prompting Defensor to publicly defend the event and his participation in it.

Defensor maintained that the gathering was scheduled under the Blue Ribbon Committee's calendar and was authorized under Senate rules.

“As long as it is designated by the Senate President under their own rules, puwede iyon,” he said, adding that any confusion surrounding the event was the result of a “miscommunication.”

Asked about what he described as attempts to silence whistleblowers, Defensor claimed that individuals who have spoken publicly about the alleged corruption have been facing legal complaints and other forms of pressure.

“Sa sitwasyon natin ngayon, masasabi natin na talagang lahat ng mga nagsasalita tungkol dito sa korapsyon, talagang iniipit,” he said.

Defensor alleged that more than 40 people connected to the controversy have already been sued and that some individuals could face detention. He did not provide documentation to support the figure.

He further argued that while whistleblowers and critics have become the subject of legal actions, there has been little visible progress in investigations involving officials accused in the allegations.

“Wala kang nakikitang development. Wala kang nakikitang nakakasuhan o wala ka nakikitang nafa-file na kaso,” he said.

The Senate has yet to issue a new statement on Defensor's remarks and the circumstances surrounding the disputed hearing.