Philippine senator arrested on plunder charge

A Philippine senator was arrested Monday at the Sandiganbayan special anti-graft court in suburban Quezon City and charged with plunder. The Office of the Ombudsman filed the charge last week, alleging the senator received 75 million pesos in undeclared campaign contributions. Plunder is a nonbailable offense under Philippine law.

Background on recent arrests The arrest marks the second such detention of a senator in just over a month. Another senator was arrested last month on a separate plunder charge tied to alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects. Both senators have denied the allegations. The second senator is accused of receiving more than 570 million pesos in kickbacks.

Iglesia ni Cristo held a three-day rally of more than 15,000 people in Manila to protest the charges, causing major traffic disruptions. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled two scheduled engagements outside his office on Tuesday due to the protest.

The 24-member Senate, acting as an impeachment court, was set to begin the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte later Monday. She faces separate charges including alleged misuse of public funds. A third senator, an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains in hiding after an International Criminal Court arrest warrant was issued in connection with anti-drug operations.