Senate to comply with Jinggoy's suspension

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will "fully comply" with the decision of the Sandiganbayan to preventively suspend for 90 days Senator Jinggoy Estrada on plunder charges.

This was the assurance of Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday, saying the chamber will abide by the process in accordance with law.

"The Senate will respect every step in the investigation of this case. We will fully abide by the preventive suspension order issued by the Sandiganbayan and we will implement the order," Drilon said in a statement.

According to Drilon, a senator who is preventively suspended cannot in any manner perform the function of his office within the duration of the preventive suspension.

The suspended senator is also barred from attending sessions, filing bills, holding committee hearings and signing committee reports.

Drilon also assured that the suspension will not affect the functions of the Committee on Labor, which Estrada chairs, because it shall be taken over by the vice chairman who will attend to pending bills in the committee.

"We will continue to function despite the suspension order. The Senate is not about the senators and it is not about the pork barrel scam controversy," Drilon said.

"We have a mandate to fulfil and with our performance during the First Regular Session, we have proven that the Senate could not be hampered by any controversy," he added.

Estrada is presently detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City for the plunder charges he is facing in connection with the pork barrel scam.