Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has announced his resignation as chairperson of the powerful Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following growing discontent among some of his colleagues over how he handled the investigation into the alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
In a statement from his office on Sunday, Lacson said he made the decision “out of respect” for his peers in the Senate majority, emphasizing that his commitment to fight corruption remains firm despite stepping down.
“I will continue to fight a corrupt and rotten system in the misuse and abuse of public funds,” Lacson said. “No amount of criticism from misinformed netizens and partisan sectors can distract or pressure me from doing my job right.”
The veteran lawmaker, however, said the turning point came when several senators began expressing disappointment with how the probe was being conducted.
“Since all chairpersons of the Senate committees are elected by our peers, I serve at the pleasure of my colleagues, particularly the members of the majority,” he said. “Rightly or wrongly, when quite a number of them have expressed disappointment over how I’m handling the flood control project anomalies, I thought it’s time for me to step aside in favor of another member who they think can handle the committee better.”
Lacson confirmed that he is drafting his resignation letter, which he plans to formally present in plenary.
He also hit back at what he described as “fake news and false narratives” circulating online, denying accusations that the Blue Ribbon Committee had been shielding certain personalities in the House of Representatives while focusing on senators.
“If you ask me, I would say I handled the hearings well. But there are those trying to disrupt the hearings. In one instance, the hearing had barely started when someone tried to make a distraction. That is why there is a perception that the hearings were not handled well,” he said in a radio interview.
Lacson earlier said he intends to invite former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co and former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to the next hearing to disprove claims that the panel is protecting specific figures.
Sources revealed that Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is now eyeing Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, and Pia Cayetano as potential successors to head the committee.