House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III has turned down the Senate’s request for nearly 20 House members – including his predecessor, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez – to participate in its blue ribbon committee probe into anomalous government projects by invoking the ongoing investigation by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI).
In a letter dated Nov. 12 and addressed to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Dy said that while the House of Representatives ‘respect(s) the oversight function of the Senate blue ribbon committee,’ the House members whose presence he requested for the Nov. 14 hearing already subjected themselves to the ICI investigation into the same issue.
‘As such, it is in the best interest of the Filipino people that these House members must first fulfill their duty to cooperate with the independent investigative body directly tasked by the Executive on the matter,’ Dy said.
‘Subjecting them to a simultaneous legislative inquiry on the identical subject could potentially prejudice the findings of the ICI,’ he added.
Lacson, who was reinstated as chair of the blue ribbon committee tasked to investigate malfeasance of government officials and offices – resumed its hearings into the massive flood control scandal implicating many politicians and public works officials.
Ahead of the hearing, Lacson requested the attendance of former Speaker Romualdez, former appropriations chair and resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, and 17 other lawmakers implicated in a massive kickback scheme from ghost or substandard infrastructure projects in collusion with contractors.
Romualdez and Co were also implicated in a previous hearing by surprise witness Orly Guteza as receiving bags of cold cash, allegedly as kickbacks, that were delivered to their residences.
Romualdez has already presented himself before the ICI, but Co has remained overseas supposedly for medical treatment, and because he feared returning amid public outrage over the corruption scandal.
However, a Manila court has since ruled Guteza’s affidavit that he used as basis for his testimony as having falsified the signature of a notary lawyer.
The 17 others meanwhile were accused by contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya, whose firms are involved in suspect public works projects, of supposedly demanding kickbacks in exchange for contracts.