Blue Ribbon Committee suspended 'until further notice'

The Blue Ribbon Committee hearing next week is suspended, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson confirmed on Saturday, 4 October.

Lacson said he initially scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, 8 October, upon the request of Senator JV Ejercito to summon former Department of Public Works and Highways Mimaropa Regional Director Gerald Pacanan.

"To maximize the discussions, I checked with the [Department of Justice] if the supposed 'tell-all' affidavit/s of the Discayas were already available," he said.

"Corollary to that, I also checked with the office of the executive judge of Manila [Regional Trial Court] if they have concluded the investigation on the possible violations of the notarized document involving TSgt [Orly] Guteza and Atty [Petchie] Espera," he added.

However, after having been informed that both would not be ready within one week and the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing will be in conflict with the budget and Court of Appeals hearings, Lacson said he informed Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III of the cancellation "until further notice."

Last week, Lacson, Chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee, said he will send invitations to Romualdez and Co while awaiting developments in the case and before scheduling the next hearing.

"For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation to [Co's] 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," Lacson said in a TV interview.

He stressed that this would show that they are "not covering up for anyone."

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

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