THE Senate minority bloc on Thursday canceled the hearing of a subcommittee under the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as a gesture of respect for the victims of the Mindanao earthquake.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, chairman of the subcommittee, announced the postponement, citing the need to give due consideration to the thousands of residents affected by the disaster.
“The cancellation was made out of respect for the victims and communities devastated by the strong earthquake in Mindanao,” Marcoleta said.
The hearing was expected to address issues related to alleged multimillion-peso kickbacks delivered by 18 former bodyguards of former congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co. The kickbacks are said to have been given to certain individuals involved in anomalous flood control projects.
No new date for the hearing has been announced.
The decision comes as government agencies continue rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas struck by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake near Sarangani earlier this week.
The quake caused widespread damage across several regions in Mindanao, including Soccsksargen, Davao Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Authorities reported dozens of fatalities, hundreds of injuries and tens of thousands of displaced residents as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.
The Office of Civil Defense earlier placed the country’s disaster response system under full red alert following reports of collapsed structures, damaged infrastructure, and ongoing search-and-rescue operations in the hardest-hit areas.
