Lacson confident in gaining support for flood control report

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday expressed confidence that the revised partial Blue Ribbon Committee report on the flood control scandal will gather at least 11 signatures from fellow senators in order to be tackled in the plenary.

Lacson, chairman of the committee, said that the report is expected to be routed to senators on Wednesday, February 11, if it is finalized within the day. 

“Hindi pa nara-route kasi kino-correct ‘yung draft, pina-finalize. After ma-correct ‘yun, based on our meeting yesterday, ‘yun na ‘yun,” he said in an ambush interview. 

(It hasn't been routed yet because the draft is being corrected and finalized. After it's corrected, based on our meeting yesterday, then that's it.) 

“And I hope and I’m confident na maka-gather siya ng (that it will gather) at least 11 signatures,” he added. 

Chiz, Jinggoy, Villanueva

Lacson said that the report will recommend preliminary investigation of Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Joel Villanueva, and Jinggoy Estrada over possible direct bribery, plunder, graft, malversation, violation of ethical standards, among other offenses.

“Walang nabago. Walang substantive na na-revise. Pareho pa rin. ‘Yun lang, ‘yung language,” he said. 

(Nothing changed. Nothing substantive has been revised. It's still the same. Only the language changed.) 

“‘Yung connotation. Halimbawa doon sa draft na initially routed, meron word doon na ‘charged’ [o] ‘recommended to be charged.’ Sa layman, kapag sinabing charged, parang nasa korte na. So inispecify nalang namin na sa halip na using the word ‘charged, to be charged,’ to undergo preliminary investigation, to undergo fact-finding investigation, to undergo case build-up. ‘Yun mga ganon,” he explained. 

(The connotation, for example, in the draft that was initially routed, there was a word there that says 'charged' or 'recommended to be charged.' In layman's terms, when you say the word 'charged,' it’s as if it is already in court. So we just specified that instead of using the word 'charged' or 'to be charged,' we will use to undergo preliminary investigation, to undergo fact-finding investigation, or to undergo case build-up.) 

Revisions

Lacson also assured that the revisions in the language will not weaken the recommendations under the report.

"We never deviated doon sa original intent nung aming (from the original intent of our) committee report na mag-undergo ng (to undergo) [preliminary investigation]," he said.

Lacson previously said that the Blue Ribbon report is poised to recommend the filing of criminal and administrative charges against senators and former lawmakers in connection with its investigation into anomalous flood control projects.

This includes Escudero, Villanueva, and Estrada, as well as former Senator Bong Revilla, former Ako Bicol Party-List Representative Zaldy Co, and former Caloocan Representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy. —VAL, GMA Integrated News