Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Tuesday described the recent revision of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on the flood control scandal as “politics,” emphasizing the value of testimonies and official records over the report itself.
“That’s politics. What is acceptable to all, or the most, is the most important… May negotiation ‘yan, may compromise ‘yan,” Remulla said during a press briefing in Baguio City.
“Pero at least, ‘yung pagkapangalan sa kanila, iyong records intact. Ang mahalaga diyan ‘yung records ng Blue Ribbon Committee tsaka lahat ng testimonies niya… ‘Yung report niyan kasi, anti-climactic ‘yan eh. Kung ano alam natin, ‘yun na ‘yun eh.”
He noted that any information from the committee would support the Ombudsman’s work and that changes in Senate leadership, including the Blue Ribbon chairmanship, would not diminish the merit of previous testimonies.
Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, chair of the committee, earlier clarified that the revised report recommends preliminary investigations for Senators Joel Villanueva, Chiz Escudero, and Jinggoy Estrada, rather than pushing for direct criminal charges.