Ping to present flood probe progress report

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon committee chairman Panfilo Lacson will deliver a “Chairman’s Progress Report” on the flood control scandal as a privilege speech, as the Senate resumes session tomorrow.

In a dzMM interview yesterday, Lacson said he may deliver his speech tomorrow or on Tuesday, adding that it may also contain other documents or pieces of evidence not tackled in previous hearings.

“As Blue Ribbon chairman, I owe it to the Filipino people to update them on what happened after seven to eight hearings. This is because many are not updated and especially because there are false narratives being spread that we are covering up for some persons and targeting others,” he said.

He said he called the flood control corruption scandal worse than the pork barrel scam, masterminded by convicted entrepreneur Janet Lim Napoles.

“Our people are angry and will not forget the issue. It will take decades before the issue is gone from the public’s memory,” he said.

Lacson’s partial flood control committee report still has not seen the light of day due to lack of support from senators as he only got six senators – including himself and his ally Senate President Vicente Sotto III – to sign the report.

While he said he respected the position of his peers not to sign the report, he reminded them of their duty as Blue Ribbon members to affix their signatures so it could be reported out to plenary for debate or amendment.

On Friday, Lacson criticized Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano for his statement downplaying the partial flood control report by saying the public deserved the “whole and bigger picture” instead of an incomplete one.

“Why so much fuss about the partial [report] when we have the opportunity to have the whole and bigger picture?” Cayetano said on Tuesday.

“In fact, a lot of us have read it and we don’t agree with the report. It’s not that we don’t want to sign, we have a lot of disagreements there… That’s the beauty of having 24 senators – everyone can question,” he added.

Lacson had accused a minority member of pressuring friends in the Blue Ribbon committee not to sign the report as a favor.

Three members of the minority bloc – Senators Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva – were recommended to be investigated and charged with corruption for their alleged role in the flood control scandal.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and JV Ejercito had signed it, but later withdrew their names, saying they needed more time to study the partial report. They have not signed it since.

The other Blue Ribbon members who have yet to sign the report are majority bloc senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo and Mark Villar and minority senators Cayetano, Villanueva, Estrada, Rodante Marcoleta, Bong Go, Imee Marcos and Robin Padilla.

Those who signed the report are Lacson, Sotto, Blue Ribbon vice chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo and Sens. Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino.

Lacson needed nine signatures – or majority of the 17-member Blue Ribbon – to report it out to plenary.

Besides Escudero, Estrada and Villanueva, the Blue Ribbon also recommended criminal charges against former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (already detained for a malversation case before the Sandiganbayan), fugitive ex-Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, former Caloocan City Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy and other former Cabinet officials behind the alleged flood control budget insertions.