Lacson drafts flood probe chair’s report, eyes Ombudsman submission

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday said he is preparing a chairman’s progress report on the panel’s investigation into alleged anomalous flood control projects, and is studying whether it can be furnished to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Nakapag-draft na kami ng tinatawag kong chairman’s [progress] report kasi ang partial committee report hindi ko ma-report out dahil sa kakulangan ng signatures ng mga miyembro,” Lacson said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(We have drafted what I call a chairman’s progress report since I cannot release a partial committee report due to the lack of members’ signatures.)

“Though unofficial, nagpadala ng mensahe ang Ombudsman kung puwedeng ipadala namin sa kanila ang kopya ng partial committee report. Pinag-aaralan namin ngayon kung uubra ba na ipadala namin, maski hindi pa ito na-bring up sa floor, sa plenaryo,” he added.

(Though unofficial, the Ombudsman sent a message asking if we could provide them a copy of the partial report. We are studying whether sending the chairman’s report would suffice even if it has not yet been taken up in plenary.)

Lacson said the report would contain the findings of the partial committee report, along with evidence gathered during the panel’s eight hearings on the alleged flood control irregularities.

He said the report would also include visual materials to help explain the findings once presented in plenary.

According to Lacson, filing the chairman’s progress report could allow the Blue Ribbon Committee to resume its hearings and formally share its findings and evidence with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Rendering the chairman’s progress report is as good as sponsoring the partial report,” he said.

Lacson said he remains open to more senators signing the partial committee report so it can still be sponsored on the Senate floor, debated, and adopted.

Earlier this month, Lacson suspended further hearings on the alleged anomalies until the panel submits and sponsors a partial committee report.

He said continuing the hearings without a formal report would be “pointless” and inconsistent with Senate rules, which require investigations to culminate in a report that can be debated, amended, and adopted on the Senate floor.

Lacson said the chairman’s report would help pave the way for the resumption of hearings and in building possible cases.

“We owe it to the Filipino people. The Blue Ribbon Committee has already conducted eight hearings, yet we have not released even a partial committee report,” he said.

The report will contain initial findings and evidence gathered during the hearings, including visual aids.

Romualdez may be invited anew

Lacson also said he remains interested in hearing from Leyte Representative and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in the next hearings.

“Yes, of course, we are interested in hearing from him. We have invited him at least twice through the Office of the Speaker, but he did not attend,” Lacson said.

“As long as there is information that requires his participation—and it appears there are matters he needs to clarify—we will continue to invite him,” he added.

The senator said it would be better if Romualdez, former lawmaker Zaldy Co, and former soldiers who claimed to have delivered kickbacks were present in one hearing to help determine the truth.

“It is important to observe their demeanor... we can ask them questions and gauge who is telling the truth and who is lying,” he said.

Asked if the probe could eventually reach President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Lacson said the committee would follow the evidence wherever it leads.

He said, however, that claims linking Marcos to the alleged delivery of kickbacks have no evidentiary value for now because they were not made under oath.

Romualdez earlier asked the Ombudsman to halt its investigation against him, citing alleged violation of due process and claiming he had been prejudged.

In a letter sent by his lawyers to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, Romualdez said he had already been labeled a “master plunderer” in connection with the alleged anomalies despite no criminal case having been filed against him.

His camp also said that as early as November 2025, the Ombudsman was quoted as saying it had been studying the case for weeks, adding that recent Supreme Court rulings have “diluted” plunder, requiring prosecutors to be more “imaginative” in filing cases.—with Sherylin Untalan/GM/MCG, GMA News