Senator Rodante Marcoleta has once again questioned the leadership of fellow Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson as chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee regarding the investigation into the flood control scam. Marcoleta specifically pointed to what he described as conditions set by Lacson before proceeding with the hearings.
Marcoleta's Concerns
According to Marcoleta, Lacson is making the Senate investigation process difficult. He emphasized that the lack of signatures from senators on the partial committee report should not be used as an obstacle to continue the hearings and release the investigation's findings.
Marcoleta stressed that the committee's mandate is to identify those responsible for wasting public funds, but he claimed Lacson is taking a different direction, contrary to the senator's usual insistence on following the evidence.
He further pointed out Lacson's alleged failure as chairman to summon individuals implicated by witnesses in previous hearings.
Key Witnesses
Marcoleta has long pushed for the summoning of former Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was named by Orly Guteza during committee hearings, and former Congressman Zaldy Co, who appeared in a series of videos released online.
Following this, Marcoleta emphasized the importance of continuing the hearings, especially if Co can return to the country, as he could be a crucial part of building the overall picture of the case.
He reiterated the need to summon Romualdez, believing that the former speaker's statement denying being the mastermind of the flood control scam has significant implications.
Lacson's Response
Marcoleta said that if Romualdez denies being the mastermind, it could mean the former speaker knows who is behind the alleged anomaly. The lawmaker added that such a statement does not entirely rule out Romualdez's involvement but merely clarifies that he is not the primary mastermind.
Meanwhile, Lacson denied Marcoleta's claims, stating that the committee sent invitations to Romualdez twice through the Office of the House Speaker, in line with inter-parliamentary courtesy. However, Romualdez did not attend the hearings.
Condition for Signing Report
In the end, Marcoleta said he would only sign the partial committee report once all necessary individuals have been summoned and the results of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings are favorable.
