Senate Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta has formally declined to sign the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s preliminary findings regarding alleged corruption in national flood control projects, citing significant concerns over the report’s legitimacy and the thoroughness of the probe.
In a recent radio interview, Marcoleta expressed skepticism regarding the distribution of the findings, pointing out that the document was disseminated via a digital link rather than a traditional, formally signed physical copy.
“May agam-agam ako sa pamamaraan. Hindi ko malaman kung partial final report ba ito o partial provisional report,” he remarked.
The senator highlighted that the printed versions lacked the signature of the committee chairperson and featured ambiguous watermarks, making it nearly impossible to authenticate the source of the document.
“Wala namang nakapirma kung saan galing. Hindi ko naman kayang gawin yun kasi hindi naman nakapirma yung Chairman,” Marcoleta noted.
Aside from these procedural red flags, Marcoleta argued that the investigation is far from over. He emphasized that several vital witnesses have yet to be summoned and warned the committee against finalizing conclusions based on incomplete data or speculation.
“Ang dami mo pang dapat tawagin at puntahan para ma-establish natin talaga. Hindi ka naman tumatawag ng hearing tapos puro innuendo lang,” he stated.
Marcoleta also touched upon the alleged involvement of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. He claimed that Romualdez’s public responses lacked a definitive denial of the accusations.
“Hindi niya dineny yung kanyang involvement. Alam niya kasama siya,” Marcoleta asserted.
While he has not entirely ruled out supporting the committee’s findings in the future, the senator maintained that his signature is contingent upon a more rigorous substantiation of the claims and the completion of all necessary testimonies.
“Pag natukoy na natin lahat at maganda na ang kinalabasan ng report, pipirma na ako,” he concluded.
In response to these concerns, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who leads the Blue Ribbon Committee, assured that the investigation will proceed to fill existing evidentiary gaps and further validate the current findings.