Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has expressed support for Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson to resume leadership of the Senate Committee on Accountability, Public Officers and Investigations or the Blue Ribbon Committee, saying Lacson’s familiarity with the flood control scam will help speed up the ongoing probe.
In a television interview, Gatchalian said Lacson was the first to expose the alleged irregularities in flood control projects through a privilege speech.
“If you backtrack this flood control mess, it was Sen. Lacson who brought it up through his privilege speech. He brought up the modus of those unscrupulous individuals in government. He brought up the names, importante names eh…. He even brought up the casino habits of these individuals. He even brought up how the documents were doctored so that ghost projects can flourish,” Gatchalian explained.
“So in other words, he knows all of these things eh, and for me, since he has already investigated this issue, it’s better for him to continue to be the chair because he can definitely drive the investigation faster because of his prior knowledge about this issue,” he added.
Lacson earlier resigned as Blue Ribbon Committee chair after reportedly drawing criticism from some colleagues over the direction of the investigation into the flood control scam, which allegedly involves several senators and questionable projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a recent interview, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Lacson may return as Blue Ribbon chair. The issue on the committee’s leadership is expected to be discussed once the Senate resumes session.