Lacson ditches minority report

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Ping Lacson on Wednesday downplayed the so-called “minority report” released by Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Imee Marcos against the panel’s ongoing probe into the flood control scam, calling it “useless” and that must be thrown in the “trash.”

“What do I do with that? It’s [useless]. That’s not in the rules; it’s not in accordance with the rules,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview. “There is no other place for that ‘minority report’ but the trash bin.”

Similarly, Senate President Tito Sotto dismissed the report, calling it a mere media stunt.

Lacson’s scathing remarks were triggered by the observations and recommendations outlined in the said report issued by minority senators in response to the panel’s ongoing investigation, under the stewardship of Lacson, into the alleged large-scale corruption scheme in flood control projects.

The 576-page report was signed by six of the nine opposition senators and released to the media on Tuesday by Marcoleta, Lacson’s predecessor, and Marcos. 

Only Senators Chiz Escudero, Alan Cayetano and Joel Villanueva did not sign the report, despite being members of the opposition bloc. 

The report underscores, among others, the need to prosecute high-ranking officials and lawmakers implicated in the flood control scheme, particularly former Speaker Martin Romualdez, on criminal charges like plunder and graft.

During a brief presentation of the report’s summary on Tuesday, Marcoleta and Marcos expressed dismay with how Lacson has been leading the probe since taking it over from Marcoleta last year.

They lamented that the committee has failed to delve into and prioritize matters of utmost importance, specifically, pinpointing the real culprits behind the scheme. Instead, they consumed their time unfairly grilling officials and personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways, as well as private contractors, or the so-called “small fish.”

They also insinuated that Lacson is deliberately ignoring “critical leads” that would implicate Romualdez. 

Specifically, Marcoleta called out Lacson’s alleged lack of effort to extract 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.

Lacson, during the committee hearing on Monday, said the testimonies of the two witnesses are still insufficient evidence to implicate Romualdez in the alleged anomalies in the flood control projects. However, the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman may use them as “leads.”

Meanwhile, responding to the minority report, Lacson argued that it was a blatant “disrespect” to the committee, as it was never part of the rules.