Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro in a press briefing on June 2, 2026 in Malacañang. (Courtesy: RTVM / Screenshot)

Malacañang on Tuesday said Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was arrested rather than voluntarily surrendered, backing Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s account that law enforcers had already arrived at the Senate to serve a warrant before the senator announced his intention to surrender.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said Estrada’s claim of a voluntary surrender was contradicted by the sequence of events surrounding the implementation of the warrant.

“The service of the warrant of arrest came before his presscon… So Secretary Jonvic’s perspective is correct that this is not a voluntary surrender, but an arrest,” Castro told reporters in mixed Filipino and English during a Palace briefing.

According to her, authorities were already at the Senate to enforce the arrest order when Estrada requested time to issue a public statement.

She said the senator did not personally present himself to law enforcement authorities, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, or the Sandiganbayan — circumstances that would normally characterize a voluntary surrender.

The PCO official also weighed in on the confrontation between Remulla and Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano during the arrest, footage of which circulated on social media.

She said the video showed Cayetano physically holding Estrada while Remulla sought to prevent the senator from leaving before authorities could take him into custody, arguing that the incident further undermined claims that Estrada’s actions constituted a voluntary surrender.

The Palace Press Officer noted that Cayetano did not attempt to conceal Estrada and was likely acting in his capacity as Senate President and in defense of the institution.

The controversy also triggered criticism from members of the Senate minority after no session was held on the day of Estrada’s arrest, with some lawmakers describing the cancellation as a “boycott of duty” and arguing that the arrest of a senator was not a sufficient reason to suspend legislative work.

“On the part of the President, on the part of the executive, there will be no issue — whoever the leader in Congress is, the executive will coordinate and cooperate just to pass the priority bills for the people,” Castro said upon being asked whether the incident could affect the administration’s legislative agenda.

— Charles Dantes