'STAGNANT': Marcoleta, Imee criticize Ping's handling of recent flood control probe

Opposition senators Rodante Marcoleta and Imee Marcos on Tuesday slammed the recent investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the alleged corruption scheme in flood control projects, calling it “stagnant” and hinting at a potential cover-up of high-ranking officials. 

Marcoleta and Marcos lamented that the panel did not delve into and prioritize matters of utmost importance, specifically, pinpointing the real culprits behind the scheme. 

Instead, they argued that the committee has consumed its time unfairly grilling Department of Public Works and Highways officials and staff, and contractors, or the so-called small fish.

“It’s a little bit disappointing on my part because I’m expecting more,” Marcoleta said in a briefing. 

"I don't want to say anything that will hurt or offend my colleagues, but that's what many Filipinos see—like it’s going nowhere,” Marcos chimed in.

She also called into question committee chair Ping Lacson’s remarks that there is still insufficient evidence to implicate former House speaker Martin Romualdez in the alleged anomalies in the flood control projects. 

Marcos asserted that Lacson’s utterances cast doubt on the credibility of the panel, arguing that it is still premature to make such an assumption, given that the investigation is still ongoing.

Marcoleta, meanwhile, expressed disappointment with how the investigation turned out under the stewardship of his successor, Lacson.

He said he had high expectations for the eighth hearing on flood control on Monday, citing developments over the past two months since the committee’s last investigation in November. 

Specifically, Marcoleta was dismayed about Lacson’s alleged lack of effort to excavate the full extent of the testimonies of two eyewitnesses, who testified under pseudonyms Joy and Maria, regarding Romualdez’s alleged ownership of the property at 30 Tamarind Road, South Forbes Park.

He added that he also expected that the panel would scrutinize the allegations of kickback deliveries involving former undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin and Trygve Olaivar, who were both present during the hearing.

At Monday’s Senate probe, the witnesses pointed to big-time contractor Curlee Discaya as the one who told them that Romualdez “acquired” the property, which was being leased by their boss, Rico Ocampo, at the time. 

The house in question was the same property that former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co claimed was purchased as a “drop-off and storage house for money from SOPs,” or kickbacks from the government, allegedly intended for President Marcos Jr. and Romualdez. 

The president and the former speaker both downplayed the allegations.

The witnesses told senators that they personally met Discaya on 1 February 2024 and asked for an extension, which the latter allegedly refused, saying that he was the “contactor” of the property who also had “deadlines.”

According to the eyewitnesses, the deed of sale showed that Golden Pheasant Holdings Corporation acquired the property. One of the “major stockholders” of the firm is reportedly Jose Raulito Paras, Romualdez’s alleged fraternity brother and business associate.

According to Marcoleta, Lacson could have delved deeper into the issue and summoned the new owner of the property as well as compel the lease contract so that they could establish Romualdez’s connection with the house. 

“After Martin Romualdez’s name was mentioned, we were done,” Marcoleta lamented. 

Marcos agreed, suggesting that the panel deliberately leaves key issues unresolved, particularly those pointing to Romualdez. 

“When a finger points to the moon, we have to look at the moon, not the finger,” Marcos stressed. 

“In other words, [these are] critical leads in the investigation that need to be pursued... That's why it always feels incomplete. There's always something missing, always left hanging. Whether on purpose or just forgotten, it just stops,” she added in Filipino.

Lost momentum?

Marcoleta posited that the Senate probe lost momentum after he was replaced by Lacson as chairman. Recall that under Marcoleta’s tenure, Discaya tagged 19 House lawmakers, including Romualdez and Co in the alleged kickback scheme in flood control projects that were awarded to their several construction firms, which he ran by his wife, Sarah. 

Sarah is currently detained on charges of graft and malversation involving P96.5 million “ghost” flood control project in Davao Occidental. 

It was also under Marcoleta that the blue ribbon committee presented the so-called whistleblower, Orly Guteza—Co’s alleged ex-aide—who claimed to have delivered 46 suitcases stuffed with “basura” or a code for cash to Co and Romualdez’s residence in Valle Verde 6, Pasig, and McKinley, Taguig, respectively. 

Guteza, who was presented as a surprise witness by Marcoleta, only attended the hearing once and is nowhere to be found.

Doubts were raised, however, about Guteza’s credibility after the lawyer who notarized his affidavit denied doing so. 

Romualdez also earlier slammed Guteza’s testimony, saying it was obviously staged and that Marcoleta likely coached him.

Minority report vs Ping’s panel 

These so-called lapses in the Senate investigation into anomalies in flood control projects prompted minority senators to produce a “minority report,” which contains their observations and recommendations regarding the issue. 

The report states that Romualdez “cannot simply absolve himself from any accountability” stemming from anomalous flood control projects, funded in recent budgets passed by Congress, given his position as Speaker. 

“Either he was complicit with the crooks or was grossly negligent in his job. In both cases, he remains liable either way,” the report read. 

Minority senators also urged that the other 17 House members, excluding Romualdez and Co, who were tagged by the Discaya couple in the kickback scheme, must also be subjected to investigation.  

Meanwhile, the report noted that similar allegations against their colleagues in the minority, Senators Chiz Escudero and Jinggoy Estrada, are “unsubstantiated” and “unclear” unless backed by strong evidence and corroborative statements from other witnesses.

The report was signed by six members of the minority bloc, including Marcoleta and Marcos. Those who did not sign it, but are members of the minority, are Escudero, Senators Alan Cayetano, and Joel Villanueva. 

Like Escudero and Estrada, Villanueva is also implicated in the scheme and is accused of receiving P150 million in kickbacks from flood control projects in Bulacan.