Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson confirmed Sunday that the partial committee report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on alleged anomalous flood control projects is still unfinished, with revisions being made to address concerns raised by majority senators.
“We will hold another meeting tomorrow Monday to clarify the concerns of some of the members of the majority. During our caucus last Wednesday, they raised concerns which I also considered, that’s why revising the draft partial committee report is still a work in progress,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
Despite possible changes in wording, Lacson emphasized that the report’s substance remains intact.
The draft recommends plunder and malversation charges against Senators Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., along with former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, ex-Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and several others.
The report requires 11 signatures before submission to the plenary, ideally including one from the minority bloc led by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
Lacson noted that failure to secure the necessary signatures would halt the report entirely.
“It’s not a matter of being confident or not of getting the signatures. The fact is we need 11, if we can’t gather 11 signatures, so be it. There’s no committee report,” he said.
He also clarified that the document is partial and unofficial, with one to two more hearings expected before a final version is completed.
If the report fails to garner enough signatures, Lacson said he may submit the findings as a “Chairman’s Report” to the Ombudsman and Department of Justice.
“The material evidences on the flood control anomalies came from us… And that is why cases have been filed against some individuals is because of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings,” Lacson added, expressing hope that pending concerns will be resolved in Monday’s meeting.