Sensitive Senate documents were declared “intact and safe” by Senate President Vicente Sotto III following a fire that erupted early Sunday morning on the third floor of the Senate building in Pasay City.
The blaze was reported around 6:30 a.m. at the office of the Legislative Technical Affairs Bureau. Firefighters swiftly responded, bringing the situation under control approximately an hour later, at 7:43 a.m.
“Rest assured that all pertinent Senate documents — including those of the Blue Ribbon Committee — remain intact, safe, and completely unaffected by the fire,” Sotto stated, addressing concerns over the security of official records.
Although the fire was contained to the third-floor office, suppression efforts resulted in water leakage that reached the Session Hall on a lower level.
Authorities are working to determine the cause of the incident and fully assess the damage.
Sotto confirmed that the Senate’s maintenance crew is engaged in round-the-clock efforts to dry out and restore the Session Hall, aiming to ensure it is fully prepared for the resumption of sessions on Monday.