Blue Ribbon Committee documents unaffected by fire at Senate building—Sotto

Critical documents, including those of the Blue Ribbon Committee, are unaffected by the fire that broke out at the Senate building on Nov. 30, Senate President Tito Sotto said.

A fire hit the third floor of the Pasay building at 6:30 a.m., specifically at the office of the Legislative Technical Affairs Bureau.

The Bureau of Fire Protection reported the incident under control by 7:43 a.m. and officially out at 8:20 a.m. They are still determining the cause of the fire and assessing damages. Moreover, there were no reported injuries.

The Office of the Senate Secretary also shared a video showing that water used to put out the fire had leaked into the Session Hall.

"Rest assured that all pertinent Senate documents—including those of the Blue Ribbon Committee—remain intact, safe, and completely unaffected by the fire," he said in a statement.

"The Senate is working closely with the BFP and internal security to ensure the continued safety of the premises and personnel and to prevent similar incidents moving forward."

Sotto added that the Senate's maintenance team is working to clean up the Session Hall to make sure it's ready for the session on Monday.

The Blue Ribbon Committee is investigating the alleged corruption in flood control projects, in which several senators have been implicated. This includes ex-Senate President Chiz Escudero, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and Sen. Joel Villanueva.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Nov. 24 that seven individuals linked to irregularities in flood control projects are now in the custody of authorities. He added that seven accused remain at large, including former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.

The Senate also recently wrapped up plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget.