Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson revealed Saturday that a member of the Senate minority bloc successfully persuaded a majority colleague to withhold their signature from a committee report investigating anomalous flood control projects.
Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said the information was relayed to him by Senate President Vicente Sotto III. The report in question contains preliminary findings on alleged irregularities in government flood control contracts.
According to Lacson, one senator admitted to being approached by a former ally.
“Pasensya na kasi napakiusapan ako ng isang nasa minority ngayon na dati naming kasama sa majority,” the senator reportedly told him.
The committee chairman expressed concern that this lobbying effort might be more widespread among the majority.
“May nakausap nga siyang isa… Nakapangako siya dun sa isang member ng minority, napakiusapan siya na huwag siyang pumirma,” Lacson added.
Refusing to name the individuals involved to avoid putting them “on the spot,” Lacson noted that shifting political alliances often complicate investigations.
“Naisip ko tuloy baka ganun din yung predicament nung iba naming kasama sa majority. Hindi natin maiaalis na kasama na nila dati sa majority yung mga nandyan sa minority,” he said.
As of Thursday, the partial report had secured six signatures:
- Senate President Vicente Sotto III
- Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson
- Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros
- Senator Bam Aquino
- Senator Kiko Pangilinan
- Senator Erwin Tulfo
The report recommends further investigation into Senators Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva, and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Escudero, Villanueva, and Estrada are all members of the minority bloc led by Senator Allan Peter Cayetano.
Senate President Sotto has reportedly committed to helping secure the three additional signatures required to bring the report to the Senate floor for debate. The minority bloc has not yet issued a statement regarding Lacson’s allegations.