Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez to be invited in next Blue Ribbon hearing – Lacson

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Tuesday that resigned Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez will be invited to the next hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Lacson, committee chairman, said the invitation will show that the panel is “not covering up for anyone” amid its investigation into the allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

“For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to his (Co) address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up. If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order,” the senator said in an interview on Net25.

“If the show-cause order is not satisfactory, we will cite him in contempt of the committee and issue a warrant for his arrest,” he added.

As for Romualdez, Lacson said the invitation will be coursed through House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, "in observation of the time-honored inter-parliamentary courtesy between the two houses of Congress."

The former House speaker has repeatedly denied the allegations, even calling it as falsehoods.

GMA News Online has reached out to Co and Romualdez for their comments and will publish their statements once available. 

On Monday, Co resigned as a member of the House of Representatives amid allegations of massive corruption in connection with flood control projects and insertions in the national budget, accusations that he has repeatedly denied while abroad.

His resignation came in the wake of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommending to the Ombudsman the possible filing of graft, malversation, and falsification charges against him and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Oriental Mindoro.

‘Not enough’

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that he will also move to invite Co to the next Blue Ribbon committee hearing, emphasizing that his resignation as a House member “is not enough.”

“What will be enough is thorough investigation. If it warrants prosecution, [then] prosecution. And if it warrants conviction, [then] conviction. That's what the people are looking for,” Dela Rosa said.

“Hindi na natin ma-violate ang tradition na inter-parliamentary courtesy. Hindi na siya congressman,” he added.

(We can no longer violate the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy. He is no longer a congressman.)

Dela Rosa said the senators in the minority bloc will push for Co to be cited in contempt if he refuses to attend the Senate’s flood control hearing.

“Kaya nga i-contempt mo dahil hindi magpakita… Bakit ba kung wala ka sa country, hindi ka pwedeng umuwi kung gusto mo talagang harapin ‘yung Blue Ribbon committee?” he asked.

(That's why we will cite him in contempt because he doesn’t want to go home… If you're not in the country, can't you go home if you really want to face the Blue Ribbon committee?) —AOL, GMA Integrated News