EFFORTS to suppress the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the alleged flood control scandal will ultimately fail, as public memory and demand for accountability remain strong, Senate President Pro Tempore and committee chairman Panfilo Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson said he is set to deliver a privilege speech this week — possibly on May 4 or 5 — to present the committee’s Chairman’s Progress Report after a partial report failed to secure enough signatures for transmission to the Senate plenary.
“As Blue Ribbon Chairman, I owe it to the Filipino people to update them on what happened after seven to eight hearings,” he said in a radio interview in a mix of English and Filipino.
He added that the report aims to correct what he described as “false narratives” suggesting bias or cover-ups in the committee’s work.
Lacson warned that attempts to downplay or stall the issue would not succeed, citing strong public outrage.
“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.
He described the controversy as even more serious than the earlier pork barrel scandal involving Janet Lim-Napoles, referencing alleged kickbacks in ghost infrastructure projects in the early 2010s.
He said the flood control issue allegedly involves the loss of lives and livelihoods, making it a matter of greater public concern.
Lacson noted that a partial Blue Ribbon Committee report prepared last February was not transmitted to the plenary due to the lack of required signatures.
He expressed disagreement with some colleagues who declined to sign the report due to disagreements with portions of its content.
“It is our duty as members of committees... to sign a committee report and indicate whether we will interpellate, amend, have reservations, or submit a separate report,” he said. “We should not refuse to sign just to block the report.”
Once delivered, Lacson said the contents of the Chairman’s Progress Report may be forwarded to investigative agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, to support case build-up.
He also said the privilege speech would include additional documents and evidence not previously discussed during hearings.
Lacson said Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings may resume in the latter part of the first regular session, or before Congress adjourns sine die on June 6.
He said future hearings may include key public officials and witnesses, including former speaker Martin Romualdez, former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, and at least six former military personnel who allegedly claimed to have delivered large sums of cash to unnamed individuals.
He noted that Singson has yet to submit a draft affidavit requested by the committee.
Lacson acknowledged that the committee’s schedule may be affected by the anticipated impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, if the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate.
He said adjustments may be made to accommodate both legislative and quasi-judicial functions.
