Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito on Tuesday expressed sadness over the arrest of his brother, Jinggoy Estrada, saying the incident affected him despite the two not being particularly close.
In an interview with DZRH, Ejercito said it would be dishonest to claim that he was unaffected by Estrada's arrest on 1 June, noting that Jinggoy remains both his brother and a colleague in the Senate.
"Even if we are not that close, I would be a hypocrite if I said I was not saddened," Ejercito said in Filipino.
Ejercito also recalled previous instances involving the arrest of lawmakers while Congress was in session and cited Article VI, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, which grants senators and members of the House of Representatives privilege from arrest for offenses punishable by not more than six years of imprisonment while Congress is in session.
The constitutional provision, however, does not apply to offenses punishable by more than six years of imprisonment and does not exempt lawmakers from accountability for serious crimes.
Meanwhile, Ejercito said the Senate remains evenly divided on leadership matters, with 11 senators aligned with each side.
According to the senator, neither camp currently has the 13 votes needed to secure control of the chamber, resulting in what he described as an 11-11 split.
Despite the uncertainty over Senate leadership, Ejercito said he intends to continue attending sessions and plans to be present during the remaining days before adjournment.