SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said Friday he would elevate flood control scam investigation to the plenary.
Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said he plans to deliver a privilege speech outlining the panel’s accomplishments after seven to eight hearings. The move comes as the committee’s partial report has yet to secure enough signatures for formal filing and sponsorship.
“The Filipino people not only deserve to be updated but more so properly and accurately informed amid the false narratives being floated,” Lacson said, adding that presenting the findings in plenary would allow debate, amendments, and eventual adoption.
He emphasized that signing a committee report does not necessarily mean full agreement, and acknowledged differing views among senators. “While I disagree with those who do not want to sign, I respect and understand their individual decisions,” he said.
Lacson credited the hearings with surfacing evidence that contributed to case buildups and ongoing investigations by agencies such as the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, Sandiganbayan, and Anti-Money Laundering Council. He said the probe was partly driven by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call in his previous State of the Nation Address to hold erring officials accountable.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called for a more comprehensive approach to the investigation.
He warned that focusing too heavily on the draft risks narrowing the scope of the inquiry, which he emphasized is still in progress. Cayetano noted that several senators have already reviewed the document but expressed disagreements over certain portions.
“In fact, many of us have read it, and we don’t agree with the report. It’s not that we don’t want to sign it, we just have a lot of disagreements there,” he said, adding that differing views among lawmakers are part of the legislative process.
Cayetano stressed that the investigation is ongoing, with more testimonies, evidence, and potential cases expected in the coming hearings. He raised concerns about early narratives surrounding the probe, saying initial claims that all questioned projects were “ghost projects” have since been qualified.
“Not all of them were ghost [projects],” he said, warning that premature conclusions based on partial findings could distort the broader picture.
Cayetano emphasized that the Senate inquiry should ultimately expose systemic issues. “Corruption is systemic. It is not isolated,” he said.
