ASEANEWS HEADLINE | MANILA: Lacson resigning as Blue Ribbon chair
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Lacson magbibitiw bilang Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman | TV Patrol
‘Senate coup old, rehashed’
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, saying he has sensed some of his colleagues in the majority bloc no longer agree with how he has handled the committee’s investigations.
Lacson, whose leadership of the Blue Ribbon committee led to the implication of senators and government officials in the flood control corruption scandal, said he was drafting a letter of resignation to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, although he intended to first announce his decision on the Senate floor before the session adjourns for recess.
“All committee chairpersons, whether in the Senate or in the House, we serve at the pleasure of our peers, particularly the members of our majority bloc,” Lacson said yesterday in an interview over radio dzBB.
“When my peers already lack faith in me, especially when a majority of them are unhappy over how the Blue Ribbon is being handled, maybe stepping down is an option,” he added.
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He said he has heard expressions of disappointment from majority senators such as JV Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian, which prompted him to reflect on whether it was time to yield his post.
Ejercito had earlier said he and four other members of the majority have started mulling over leaving the bloc, citing how senators are “burning down our own house” by focusing on the alleged involvement of its members in flood control corruption while neglecting accountability for members of the House of
Representatives.
He issued the statement after Lacson revealed in interviews that almost all senators of the 19th Congress had questionable insertions into the 2025 national budget.
Gatchalian, meanwhile, voiced his wishes to leave the investigation of the flood control corruption scandal to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), saying “political agenda” has tainted the Senate’s own probe.
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Cayetano urges gov’t officials to resign, pushes for snap elections….
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano —PHOTO BY NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.NET
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Despite these, Lacson believes he has handled the hearings properly, though perceptions have been colored by frequent disruptions at the start of proceedings.
He also denied claims that the inquiry was selectively targeting certain senators — including former Senate president Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva — while sparing other figures linked to the alleged “architects” of the controversy in the House of Representatives.
Lacson also addressed criticisms that his comments on the P100-billion budget insertions were dividing the chamber, saying his remarks were not meant to “burn the house down” but to wake the Senate to public anger over questionable allocations.
“I did not say the insertions were illegal. What’s wrong is if you inserted projects in the amendments, meddled with the implementation and earned a commission – that’s what’s wrong,” he explained, saying he himself would introduce insertions into the budget of the Anti-Money Laundering Council due to its insufficient funding.
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Lacson said he also took offense at remarks of some senators who insinuated to his face that he was grandstanding to build political capital, saying his fresh term would be his last.
“I don’t have any political ambition or plan after 2031,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta taking back the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon panel if he steps down, Lacson said he would respect the decision of his peers.
Sotto’s leadership
Lacson said his respect and support for Sotto’s Senate presidency remain intact, stressing that his leadership has been marked by consensus and stability.
“He governs smoothly, there is consensus, he does not dictate, he does not decide by himself,” Lacson said. “If you will ask me, I will continue to support him.”
He also credited Sotto for reforms in the ongoing budget process, including the agreement not to certify the appropriations bill as urgent and to allow senators at least three days to review the budget between second and third readings — a move Lacson said promotes transparency.
Senate coup
Lacson also rejected talk of an alleged Senate coup to replace Sotto with Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
“It’s the same old rehashed psy war tactic all over again intended to confuse and sow intrigue among the members of the majority,” Lacson said in a message to reporters yesterday.
He said the rumor had nothing to do with his decision to resign as Blue Ribbon chair.
“All I can say is – I can handle all the pressure. It’s frustration that’s hard to bear,” he said.
“Rest assured, there’s no waver ing in my advocacy against the corrupt and rotten system, particu larly the misuse and abuse of public funds,” he added.
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‘Turning point’
For House committee on public accounts chair and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, Lacson’s exit “leaves a significant vacuum in the fight for accountability in public infrastructure spending.”
Ridon highlighted that under Lacson’s stewardship, the Blue Ribbon committee has uncovered a broad conspiracy involving multiple layers of government and the private sector.
“His leadership of the panel has yielded the most consequential testimonies and evidence among all proceedings,” Ridon said.
Key admissions from individuals such as Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo before the Senate panel were instrumental in exposing a complex network of corruption, Ridon noted.
These testimonies built upon earlier confessions from Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza at the House infrastructure committee, pointing to collusion among contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways officials, lawmakers, and even members of the executive branch.
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With Lacson’s departure, Ridon called on the ICI to ramp up its efforts. “This should now compel the Independent Commission to conduct a broad, unrelenting and open sweep of all individuals named in both Senate and House hearings,” he said, urging that accountability must not be derailed by the senator’s exit. — Artemio Dumlao
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