Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano announced on Friday the creation of a subcommittee under the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to continue the investigation into alleged irregularities involving flood control projects, with hearings scheduled to begin next week.
Speaking during a livestream, Cayetano said the decision was reached following a caucus among senators.
“We finished a caucus over lunch and we agreed, subject to some minor discussion among our chairpersons and the paperwork, that a subcommittee will be formed sa flood control” (We finished a caucus over lunch and we agreed, subject to some minor discussion among our chairpersons and the paperwork, that a subcommittee will be formed for the flood control investigation,) he said.
The subcommittee will be headed by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations. According to Cayetano, Marcoleta is expected to start sending invitations to resource persons on Monday in preparation for the inquiry’s first hearing on June 4.
Cayetano emphasized that the investigation would be conducted fairly and thoroughly.
“It will be impartial. And we want the whole truth, and not only some truth, to come out,” he said.
The renewed probe comes amid allegations that three members of the Senate majority bloc led by Cayetano—Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva—received payoffs linked to the questioned flood control projects.
Estrada has already been charged with plunder and graft in connection with the controversy. Prosecutors allege that he received ₱573 million in kickbacks from the infrastructure programs.