Rep. Romulo's petition for an executive session was granted by the ICI

Congressman Roman Romulo's petition for an executive session was granted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which meant that his involvement in the hearing was not broadcast live to the public.

Romulo was asked in a short live stream by the ICI whether he would consent to his participation being shown prior to the start of the formal hearing. The congressman requested an executive session, and the commission immediately asked him to explain why.

Romulo's attorney stated that live streaming may endanger her client's physical security and put his home in danger. She said, "On the ground that the disclosure of the information that will be provided by the good congressman at this point would potentially put the life and safety of an individual, particularly the good congressman."

She also emphasized that public broadcasting could be used to harm Romulo's reputation, particularly because there would be no way to regulate how people might understand or disseminate his words. "Considering the nature of today's session and inquiry, the live broadcast of these proceedings could be misused by members of the public to malign the reputation of the good congressman and would create an environment that would not favor an impartial deliberation on the matter at hand," she continued.

Romulo himself mentioned that an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) had been issued against him and that others had utilized this data against him in the past. Additionally, he voiced worry about the proliferation of false or fabricated information about him across social media and other online media.

Romulo acknowledged at the end of the executive meeting that he had no objection to publishing his sworn statement because it is a public record.