MANILA – Efforts are intensifying to gather additional signatures for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on alleged anomalies in flood control projects, with Senator Risa Hontiveros emphasizing the need for transparency amid widespread public interest.
In a radio interview on Monday, Hontiveros stated, “Patuloy po naming ifa-follow up… para maiulat na po ito sa ating mga kababayan… kailangan at dapat nilang malaman ang buong katotohanan,” underscoring the public's right to know the complete truth.
She confirmed that six senators have already signed the report, leaving only three more signatures required before it can be formally sponsored on the Senate floor. “Well kulang na lang, hindi na kulang na kulang kasi yung [original] naming apat na pumirma, nadagdagan na po ng dalawa. Anim na po kami, tatlo na lang ang kailangan para ma-sponsor na po ito sa floor,” she added.
To address the delay, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chair Panfilo Lacson announced he is preparing a chairman’s progress report. This report will consolidate findings from the partial committee report and evidence from at least eight hearings, potentially aiding case buildup by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.
“We have drafted a Chairman's Progress Report. I cannot report out the partial committee report on the Senate floor due to the lack of needed signatures,” Lacson explained. He noted that releasing the progress report would allow the committee to resume hearings and make findings public even before formal plenary action.
Lacson also mentioned the possibility of reinviting former House speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for a future hearing, potentially for a confrontation with former lawmaker Elizaldy Co and former soldiers allegedly involved in kickback schemes related to flood control projects.
Hontiveros expressed optimism about Co’s potential return to the country, stating, “Ay, malaking piyesa ang maidadadag niya sa binubuong puzzle… sana ay ilahad na niya… ang buo, kumpleto at totoong nalalaman niya,” highlighting his critical role in completing the investigation.
