Sen. Ping Lacson Speaks on Senate Flood Control Investigation amid Pause
PING LACSON – The Senate President Pro Tempore wants the Senate flood probe to resume on November 14 if he will be reelected as Blue Ribbon chairman.
Sen. Lacson resigned from being the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee amid the flood control probe. The upper chamber continues its investigation even after the creation of the Independent Committee for Infrastructure or ICI.
The resignation of Lacson had something to do with the alleged dissatisfaction on the part of some of his fellow senators over the course of the investigation. With the Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship being vacant, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto previously revealed that are five (5) senators who have the possibility of being the next Blue Ribbon chairperson.
The Senate Chief named senators Kiko Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Pia Cayetano, Raffy Tulfo, and JV Ejercito. However, Pangilinan, Tulfo, and Ejercito immediately declined the post.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo was appointed as the acting chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. He’s the vice chairman of the panel that led the flood control investigation in the lower chamber. Amid the pause of the Senate flood probe, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto confirmed that Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson will return as the Blue Ribbon chairman.
According to Sotto, the clamor of their fellow senators for Lacson’s return to the position reached the Senate President Pro Tempore. Recently, the resigned Blue Ribbon Chairman broke his silence over the matter.
Based on a report on GMA News, Sen. Ping Lacson claimed that if he will be reelected on November 10 as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he wants the flood control probe to resume on November 14. Furthermore, he also cited the resource persons that he wants to invite.
Based on the report, Lacson plans to invite errant contractors and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and a “very important witness”.
“If elected again as Blue Ribbon chairman on Nov 10, our hearing will resume on Nov 14. To help speed up the filing of airtight cases against some politicians, DPWH officials and errant contractors, we will invite among others, a ‘very important witness’ and retired T/Sgt Orly Guteza to shed more light on his ‘sinumpaang salaysay,'” the Senate President Pro Tempore said.
Guteza is a former marine who claimed to be an alleged former staff of Zaldy Co. According to him, he was supposedly part of the team that delivered suitcases filled with millions of money to Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Leyte Cong. Martin Romualdez previously appeared at the flood control probe of the ICI. Before the Senate flood probe went on pause with Lacson’s resignation, it was previously reported that the upper chamber will invite the former House Speaker into the flood control hearing.