Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson confirmed that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will issue formal invitations to former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co in its next hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Lacson, who now chairs the Blue Ribbon panel, stressed that summoning both personalities will demonstrate that the committee is not shielding anyone from accountability.
“For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to his address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up. If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order. We are not covering up for anyone here,” Lacson said in an interview with Net25.
He clarified that Romualdez’s invitation will first be coursed through the office of House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III in observance of inter-parliamentary courtesy.
As for Co, who already resigned from the House, Lacson warned that failure to attend will result in him being cited for contempt and issued a warrant of arrest.
Lacson assured the public that the Blue Ribbon probe will be pursued without fear or favor.
“If we stop the probe now, we may reinforce the perception rightly or wrongly that we are covering up for someone. No. I said it clearly, we will go where the evidence leads us,” he said.
Romualdez and Co have both been tagged in the alleged flood control kickback scheme, where lawmakers and officials supposedly pocketed 20–25% commissions from irregular projects.