Manila: Senate President Vicente Sotto III announced on Thursday that individuals detained under the Senate's contempt powers will remain in custody while committee inquiries are ongoing. However, he assured that they may receive visitors and will be provided with noche buena during the Christmas season.

According to Philippines News Agency, Sotto clarified that no requests have been filed for a temporary holiday release of detainees. "Walang request right now, yung dating request is 'yung umuuwi para kumuha ng documents para i-surrender (There is no request right now; the earlier request was only to go home to retrieve documents for surrender)," he stated in an interview with reporters.

He further assured that detainees would be provided with holiday meals, confirming, "Siyempre bibigyan namin (Of course, we will give them)," when asked about noche buena arrangements. Sotto also reiterated that visits would continue to be allowed.

He emphasized that persons cited for contempt would remain under Senate custody until their respective inquiries conclude, unless a court warrant is issued. This is in line with Supreme Court guidance that legislative contempt extends until the committee submits its report or until the end of Congress.

Among those recently detained in the Senate facility are Chinese national Shi Chaoqun, detained on December 10, 2025, for allegedly lying under oath in the agriculture committee's probe into large-scale meat smuggling; contractor Pacifico 'Curlee' Discaya, detained in September 2025 for inconsistent statements in the Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation of alleged flood control anomalies; and Bureau of Customs official Juan San Andres, who remains detained from an earlier agricultural smuggling hearing.