‘No toilet, tiles?’ Estrada office stripped bare ahead of Sotto turnover

Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was in for a surprise when he prepared to move into Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s former office.

Sotto was set to take over the office this week, but ahead of the move, he found that his new room had been stripped bare.

Videos obtained by Rappler showed the office, located in the sixth floor of the Senate building, empty, with its fixtures including toilet bowl, sink, tiles, and carpet removed. 

The unusual state of the office caught several senators by surprise.

“Where will Jinggoy bring the toilet?” a senator quipped. 

Sotto’s move to Estrada’s office is part of a reshuffling of offices following the last Senate leadership change.

Sotto is expected to vacate his current office, which will be occupied by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. Offices in the sixth floor are usually reserved for Senate leaders. 

Senate practice allows senators to take furniture and appliances when they vacate their offices, but prohibits them from damaging the premises.

Sotto was elected Senate president pro-tempore in June, following a leadership change that installed Gatchalian as Senate president. 

Estrada has been detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas since June 2 for plunder charges in relation to alleged flood control corruption.

Jinggoy’s office: What’s the fuss?

Estrada’s office issued a statement on Tuesday, October 6, saying the senator “takes exception” to the reports and comments in relation to his former office. For one, his office said, leaving an office to be vacated in this condition is “standard practice” in the Senate and Estrada was not the first senator to do this.

“It is also worth mentioning, in the spirit of full transparency, that the said vacated office, when it was turned over to Senator Estrada in 2022, was likewise bare, following this same long-standing practice. Standard practice ito sa Senado at hindi na dapat ikagulat pa o gawin pang isyu. (This is a standard practice in the Senate and it should not be surprising nor an issue),” his office said.

“It must also be emphasized that similar instances of dismantling fixtures and materials from a vacated senator’s office have occurred in the recent past. This is neither new nor unusual — it is an established and accepted practice within the institution, and singling out this particular transition for scrutiny is both unfair and misleading,” it added.

They said that Estrada’s chief of staff, Racquel Mejia, had informed Sotto’s office in advance that “the fixtures, furnishings, and materials in the office would be brought along to the senator’s new office” as most of the items such as floor tiles, glass panels, lighting fixtures, and cabinets “were acquired using personal funds, as the budget provided by the Senate was insufficient to cover all the expenses incurred.”

“It bears noting that standard practice in the Senate is for the senator occupying an office to renovate the space based on the budget provided, with any expense beyond that shouldered entirely by the occupant,” his office said.

“Let it be stressed, in no uncertain terms, that not a single centavo of public funds was wasted. In fact, the Senate will bear no cost whatsoever for office supplies and materials, as most, if not all, of those used in the previous office will simply be reused in the new one. If anything, this practice reflects prudence and efficiency, not controversy. This matter has been fully explained to the resident COA auditor,” it added.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, however, said that the state of Estrada’s former office would not only entail funds for repairs but would also delay Sotto’s move to his new office.

Gatchalian had inspected the office to check on the “actual condition” of the space and said he and Sotto were taken aback by what they saw.

“Sobrang nagulat kami si Sen. Sotto dahil ubos na ubos ‘yung Pro Temp. office. Sayang ang pera dahil gagastos ulit para maayos at magamit ni Pro Temp Sotto ‘yung office…. It will take some time and funds for him to move in,” he said.

(Senator Sotto and I were taken aback [by what we saw] because the Pro Temp office was completely stripped down. It’s a waste of money because funds would have to be spent again to fix, and for Pro Temp Sotto to use, the office…. It will take some time and funds for him to move in.)

Lacson corrects Estrada’s office

The immediate past occupant of Estrada’s office, which he did not name, took exception to his claim that the office was in a similar state when it was turned over to him in 2022.

Senator Ping Lacson took to social media to distinguish the office that Estrada had left Sotto with the one that Lacson had turned over to Estrada in 2022.

“I take exception to the statement pertaining to the state or condition of the same Pro Tempore office that I turned over to Sen. Estrada in 2022. Nothing was removed nor destroyed, precisely because government funds were used when I refurbished it when it was turned over to me,” said Lacson, who also posted photos of his office prior to the turnover.

Lacson’s office was emptied of all furniture in preparation and out of consideration for the next occupant. But its finishing fixtures — lights, wall paneling, floor, sink, and of course, toilet, among others — remained intact. – Rappler.com