Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said that he is considering stepping down as the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
In a statement sent to reporters on Sunday, October 5, Lacson explained that he is contemplating resigning from the committee due to expressions of disappointment from some colleagues regarding its handling of the investigation into alleged anomalous flood control projects.
“Since all chairpersons of the Senate committees are elected by our peers, I serve at the pleasure of my colleagues, particularly the members of the majority,’ Lacson’s statement read.
‘Rightly or wrongly, when quite a number of them have expressed disappointment over how I’m handling the flood control project anomalies, I thought it’s time for me to step aside in favor of another member who they think can handle the committee better,” he added.
In a DZBB interview, Lacson said he is preparing his resignation letter and may “formally manifest it in plenary when the Senate resumes its session.”
On October 4, Lacson announced that the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects had been canceled.
Lacson said he had initially scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, October 8, at the request of Sen. JV Ejercito, specifically to summon former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa regional director Gerald Pacanan.
Pacanan was one of ten DPWH officials who had received a show-cause order from DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon regarding their alleged lavish lifestyles and involvement in substandard projects.
However, due to the unavailability of necessary documents and conflicts with other hearings, Lacson said they canceled the probe until further notice.
He explained that, to maximize the discussions, he had checked with the Department of Justice regarding the availability of the supposed “tell-all” affidavits of the Discaya couple.
Furthermore, he contacted the Office of the Executive Judge of the Manila Regional Trial Court to verify whether they had concluded their investigation into possible violations involving the notarized document concerning Orly Guteza, former security consultant Rep. Zaldy Co (Ako Bicol Partylist), and Lawyer Petchie Espera.