Lacson calls Marcoleta 'obsessed' with him during a fiery spat over BRC report, WPS issues

The opening of the Senate’s session on Tuesday turned into a fiery rhetorical duel between Senators Ping Lacson and Rodante Marcoleta, after the former accused the ex-partylist solon of “obsessing” over him by causing a dispute over matters involving flood control probe and the West Philippines Sea.

Lacson’s scathing privilege speech followed that of Marcoleta, delivered late Monday, during which he criticized the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for the supposed delay in releasing its report despite seven months of holding hearings into flood control corruption and strong public demand for accountability.

Lacson, the BRC chair, fired back at Marcoleta, calling him “bida-bida” (attention seeker) for always causing a stir aimed at targeting him.

“I could have effortlessly dismissed Senator Marcoleta’s statements, as I refuse to dignify his ego-driven provocations. But when the attacks shift from professional to obsessively personal, I must shut the whole political circus down—firmly, completely, and without ambiguity,” Lacson asserted in his speech.

Lacson posited that Marcoleta’s relentless tirades were driven by his personal grudge. Recall that Marcoleta initially led the powerful BRC before Lacson took over in early September last year following a leadership shakeup in the Senate.

“Since Senator Marcoleta always seems to want to be the star, whether as the former BRC chairman, or in matters concerning the West Philippine Sea, or any issue involving China, or even in the restitution of the Discaya couple, he will indeed be the central figure of my statement this afternoon,” Lacson continued in Filipino.

The BRC chair then went on with his blistering speech, accusing Marcoleta of “obsess[ing] with tagging and badmouthing” him as well as defending China.

He cited multiple occasions wherein Marcoleta allegedly pushed pro-Beijing narratives, including, among others, a Commission on Appointments hearing in February, where Marcoleta “suggested” giving up Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea to ease tensions with Beijing.

Lacson also took issue with Marcoleta’s statements in several interviews, where he “undermined the authority and collective integrity” of the BRC.

In his privilege speech on Monday, Marcoleta suggested a possible cover-up by the committee on several members of Congress accused of involvement in the flood control fiasco. He also slammed the BRC chair over its alleged resistance to probe the allegations of P805 billion in kickbacks allegedly delivered by the supposed 18 Marines to top government leaders, including President Marcos Jr.

Marcoleta also hit the committee over its alleged refusal to summon Malacanang officials linked to corruption allegations in its hearings, including former legislative liaison officer Adrian Bersamin, whom Lacson himself tagged in the kickback scheme.

Moreover, Marcoleta also took a swipe at the alleged lack of formality of the BRC’s partial report. He mentioned that his office received the same on 11 February, but it did not bear Lacson’s signature, raising concerns about its credibility.

Lacson, however, countered that those were only “advanced copies” sent to all panel members for swift review. Nonetheless, he said, Marcoleta’s office was properly informed that the hard copy of the committee report, with over 400 pages, was available in Lacson’s office for their signature, only to ignore it.

Lacson also refuted Marcoleta’s insinuations regarding the former’s purported inaction to recommend, as part of the committee report, criminal charges against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“As for his accusations in this representation regarding Cong. Martin Romualdez, if Senator Marcoleta had only read the partial committee report, he would have seen that everything he wanted to say is already contained there— if not even more: recommendations for a fact-finding investigation, AMLC bank inquiry, and filing of freeze order petitions and forfeiture," Lacson stressed.

Lacson doubled down on his tirades, asserting that Marcoleta's release of the so-called "minority report" and its contents was an affront to the committee and to him as its chairman. He pointed out panel cannot compete with national prosecution services and the judiciary in disposing of the cases and could only recommend case buildup.

“Out of line. Out of place. So is it any surprise that my reaction is that this report belongs to nowhere else but the trash bin?” he lamented.

Lacson also rejected Marcoleta’s insinuations that he is diverting the BRC’s attention from the flood control probe to shield lawmakers implicated in kickbacks, saying he has been an anti-corruption crusader ever since.

After Lacson concluded his speech, Marcoleta stood at the podium to interpellate. However, before he made manifestations, he took a jab at the majority for giving “special treatment” to Lacson by allowing him to deliver his privilege speech at the start of the session.

Usually, Marcoleta said, senators had to wait until all orders of business were completed before they could deliver their speeches.