Lacson to forward flood probe evidence

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will transmit the evidence it has gathered in its ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects to the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman, panel chairman Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson, who is also Senate President Pro Tempore, said the committee is preparing a formal transmittal letter encompassing the documentary evidence, testimonies, and hearing transcripts.

He noted these materials are now part of the public record after he cited them in his privilege speech on Tuesday.

“Moving forward, I ordered the preparation of a transmittal letter to the Office of the Ombudsman to give all the pieces of evidence–documentary, testimonial, and transcripts. It is now a matter of public record as I cited them in my privilege speech,” said Lacson during the Kapihan sa Senado forum.

He explained that the panel initially withheld the public release of the evidence to comply with Senate rules, but his privilege speech allows law enforcement agencies to use the information in building potential cases.

Among the documents to be submitted is a handwritten note attributed to the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral.

Lacson earlier said the note indicated that Senator Rodante Marcoleta had requested P500 million in “allocables” for infrastructure projects.

“Based on requests for allocables, the late Usec. Cabral allocated P500 million in projects to Senator Marcoleta,” Lacson said, adding that the document was not yet in the Ombudsman’s possession.

Despite this, Lacson said the committee is not recommending an investigation of Marcoleta at this time, unless evidence emerges linking him to alleged ghost or substandard projects.

The Blue Ribbon panel has been scrutinizing the use of “allocables” and so-called leadership funds, which Lacson said may have opened opportunities for corruption.

While not illegal, he stressed that legislators requesting projects from implementing agencies was “not appropriate.”

The committee is also expanding its review to include flood control projects in the Visayas and Mindanao to determine the extent of the anomalies.

Lacson said future hearings may focus on defective or substandard projects funded through allocable funds.

There is also a “big possibility” of another hearing before Congress adjourns sine die on 6 June, as the panel consolidates its findings.

He urged his fellow senators, including those mentioned in the probe, to sign the partial committee report so it can be tackled in plenary.

This, he said, would allow them to defend themselves and challenge the report’s findings.

“We want a healthy deliberation so we can hear all sides,” Lacson said, emphasizing that the report was based on evidence gathered from the hearings.

Lacson also pushed back against claims there was a single mastermind behind the alleged irregularities, saying that current findings do not support that conclusion.

Meanwhile, the tension between Lacson and Marcoleta resurfaced after the latter attempted to interpellate the former following his privilege speech.

Lacson declined to take questions, saying he would do so only after formally filing and sponsoring the committee report.

Lacson reiterated his longstanding anti-corruption stance, saying his actions had remained consistent throughout his public service career.

“I have built my career and my reputation over decades on a simple principle: that noise never overpowers duty, and intimidation never silences me,” he said.