Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson Speaks on Blue Ribbon Flood Control Report
PING LACSON
– The Senate President Pro Tempore revealed that there’s a change in the flood control report of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
The Senate launched its own flood control investigation amid the supposed multi-billion corruption that implicated several government officials. The upper chamber continued with its probe even after the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure or ICI.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is led by Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson. They invited several former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractors during the flood control probe.
Then-Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero was accused by former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of allegedly receiving a P165 million kickback. Former DPWH Engineer Brice Hernandez accused senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada of alleged budget insertion.
All three (3) senators denied the accusations against them. Recently, Senate President Pro Tempore
Ping Lacson revealed that the panel’s draft and unofficial flood control report recommends charges versus Escudero, Estrada, and Villanueva
📷: BP
Recently, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson revealed that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has changed the wording in the draft and unofficial flood control report of the panel. According to the Senator, instead of suggesting for the filing of flood control charges against senators Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva, they changed the proposal to “preliminary investigation”.
Lacson said.
Based on a report on Inquirer, the Senate President Pro Tempore claimed that the word “charge” was generic and it may mean the filing of cases to the common people. However, according to the Senator, only the Department of Justice or the Office of the Ombudsman can do it.
Photo Courtesy of Inquirer
Lacson admitted that the usage of the word against his colleagues has affected some of his fellow senators who asked that it will be softened. Based on the
report
, the senators are set to vote on the panel’s report today.
Previously, amid the rumored ‘coup’, presidential sister and Sen.
Imee Marcos claimed that the senators could allegedly no longer rely on the Senate to protect or defend the senators in the flood control probe
which supposedly triggered the alleged coup.