Senator Robin Padilla has expressed his support for the expected return of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson as chairperson of the powerful Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which is currently investigating irregularities in flood control projects.
Padilla, a member of the nine-member Senate minority bloc, said Lacson’s reinstatement would help restore “direction” to the committee, which he claimed has recently “lost its way” following the senator’s earlier resignation.
“Mainam po ngayon at bumalik na si Senator Panfilo Lacson para mamuno,” Padilla said. “Naging Red Ribbon na nga po ang Blue Ribbon Committee ng wala ng gustong mamuno dito.”
He admitted that while the minority bloc initially hoped Senate Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta would take over the chairmanship, the decision ultimately rests with the majority bloc.
“Hindi po natin maipipilit ang kagustuhan natin dahil wala po sa minority ang kapangyarihan para magtalaga ng tagapangulo ng komite,” Padilla noted.
“Manalig po muna tayo sa magiging muling takbo ng pamumuno ni… Lacson.”
Padilla also appealed to his fellow minority supporters—mostly allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte—to respect Lacson’s return to the post and avoid further political division.
“Ano man ang ating kulay sa pulitika, batid ko na mahirap humiling ng kalma. Pero hindi po makakatulong sa Senado kung tayo ay magpupukulan pa ng mga putik sa kung sino ang mamumuno sa imbestigasyon,” he said.
The senator added that Lacson’s leadership would be preferable to having someone “obviously partisan” handle the committee.
“Magpasalamat na rin po tayo at siya ang muling tagapangulo ng komite ng Blue Ribbon mula sa majority bloc kesa po sa ibang mga senador na batid natin at lantaran ang kulay ng pulitika na maaring pagmulan ng mas mainit na palitan ng mga putik,” Padilla remarked.
While he did not name names, Padilla’s comments appeared to allude to Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who was once considered by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as a possible replacement for Lacson. The two senators previously clashed in plenary over the proposed lowering of the age of criminal responsibility.
In a light moment, observers recalled that in 2013, Padilla portrayed a senator modeled after Lacson in the film “10,000 Hours”, inspired by Lacson’s flight abroad following the issuance of a warrant of arrest in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case—a story that now mirrors, in some ways, their intertwined paths in Philippine politics.