Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson Speaks on Flood Control Report
PING LACSON – The Senate President Pro Tempore as well as chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee spoke on the flood control report.
While House Speaker Bojie Dy left the flood control investigation under the care of the ICI or the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the Senate continued with its flood control investigation. The probe is led by the Blue Ribbon Committee.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was initially led by Senator Rodante Marcoleta when the flood control issue broke out. However, after some senators were tagged in the flood control mess, the chamber had a shakeup.
From the lead of Sen. Chiz Escudero, the current Senate President is Tito Sotto. The Blue Ribbon chairmanship was also given to Sen. Ping Lacson who is also the chamber’s Senate President Pro Tempore now.
The Senate Blue Ribbon flood control probe invited several contractors and supposed witnesses to the flood control scam. Undeniably, the path that the investigation went gathered different opinions from the people.
There was even an instance when Sen. Ping Lacson resigned from being the Blue Ribbon chairman citing the alleged unsatisfaction of his colleagues on the path that the probe has taken. The hearings were halted for several weeks until it was confirmed again that Lacson is back in the position after most of the senators who were offered the post immediately declined it.
Recently, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto confirmed the presence of a flood control report by the Blue Ribbon Committee and the inclusion of some senators’ names. The Senate Chief revealed that the names of senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and Chiz Escudero were mentioned in the flood control report.
Sotto previously admitted that he is not in favor of the removal of the names of their fellow senators. Shortly after ouster talks crossed the surface, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson announced that from recommending flood control charges, the panel will proposed investigation on Escudero, Estrada, and Villanueva.
“We specified it, instead of using the word ‘charge’; ‘to undergo preliminary investigation’. ‘To undergo fact-finding investigation, to undergo case build-up’, like that,” Lacson expressed.
Recently, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson revealed that five (5) more signatures are needed to get the Blue Ribbon flood control report to the Senate plenary. According to the Senator, four (4) senators have already signed the report. They are as follows:
- Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Sen. Kiko Pangilinan
- Sen. Bam Aquino
However, what previously sparked some of the criticisms against the flood control report is the Senate panel not recommending a flood control probe against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The presidential cousin and Leyte Congressmen was accused by several people of alleged involvement in the flood control corruption.