Ombudsman Remulla on Blue Ribbon report revision: That's politics

Camp John Hay, Baguio City— Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla described Tuesday the revision of the Senate blue ribbon committee report on flood control projects as just politics, saying the records of the panel including the testimonies, remain valuable evidence.

“That’s politics. What is acceptable to all, rather most, is the most important thing. May mga pipirma para hindi isama ang pangalan. Pero at least, iyong pagkapangalan sa kanila, iyong records ng Blue Ribbon Committee and testimonies, are intact. The report is really anti-climactic. Alam na natin [ang nangyari] eh,” Remulla told reporters here during a press conference at the sidelines of the Office of the Ombudsman's strategic planning session.

(There are those who will sign the committee report, provided that his or her name won't be included there. But witnesses identifying them, Blue Ribbon Committee records, are intact. Besides, we already know what happened ahead of the report.)

“Basta sa amin, kung meron kaming makukuhang impormasyon sa Blue Ribbon, e di mabuti, kasi nga, makakatulong sa trabaho,” he added.

(As far as we are concerned, if we can get information from Blue Ribbon, that would be good for us since it will help us in doing our job.)

Earlier in the day, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Blue Ribbon committee chairman, said 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.

He said only the language was changed and there was no substantive revision from the original draft. 

He 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.

He said the revisions in the language will not weaken the recommendations under the report.

“‘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,” Lacson 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.) 

Among those who linked Escudero, Villanueva, Estrada to the kickback scheme were former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and former Bulacan First District Engineering Office District Engineer Henry Alcantara. 

Bernardo and Alcantara have since been named as state witnesses alongside DPWH Engr. Gerard Opulencia and contractor Sally Santos, the owner and manager of SYMS Construction Trading.

Likewise, the Ombudsman said that a change in Senate leadership, including the chairmanship in the Blue Ribbon Committee, cannot affect the merit of the testimonies already said by witnesses in earlier hearings.

‘Yung trabaho namin naman, does not rely on the Senate e. Nagkataon lang, na maganda 'yung mga sinimulan ng Blue Ribbon Committee under the leadership of Senator Ping Lacson,” Remulla said.

(Our work does not rely on the Senate [alone]. It just so happens that the Senate Blue Ribbon under the leadership of Senator Ping Lacons did a fine job.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News