The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has suspended initial plans to resume the probe on alleged anomalous projects next week, according to its chair, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
This, as some documents meant for the next hearing will not be ready in time as well as conflict with other Senate hearings.
“Initially I had scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 8…. To maximize the discussions, I checked with the DOJ if the supposed “tell-all” affidavit/s of the Discayas were already available. Corollary to that, I also checked with the office of the executive judge of Manila RTC if they have concluded the investigation on the possible violations of the notarized document involving TSgt Guteza and Atty Espera. Having been informed that both would not be ready within one week, not to mention that the BRC hearing will be in conflict with the budget and CA hearings, I informed SP Sotto of the cancellation until further notice,” said Lacson in a message to reporters on Saturday.
The committee also did not hold any flood control hearing last week.
Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday said some senators were puzzled as there have been talks that committee would no longer hold another hearing, and that it would come out with a partial report instead.
“Nalilito kami sa Senado at ang balita, ‘di na raw magpapa-hearing ang blue ribbon kundi maglalabas na si Senator Lacson ng partial report. Baka may pinag-usapan sa majority caucus?” Marcos said.
(We are confused in the Senate as there is word that the blue ribbon committee will no longer hold a hearing and that Senator Lacson will just issue a partial report. Maybe something was discussed in the majority caucus?)
Lacson, however, responded by saying that Marcos should attend the committee hearings to avoid the supposed confusion.
Lacson also said last week that resigned Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez will be invited to the next hearing.
“For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to his (Co) address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up. If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order,” the senator said in an interview on Net25.
“If the show-cause order is not satisfactory, we will cite him in contempt of the committee and issue a warrant for his arrest,” he added.
As for Romualdez, Lacson said the invitation will be coursed through House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, “in observation of the time-honored inter-parliamentary courtesy between the two houses of Congress.”
Romualdez and Co have been tagged in the supposed anomalous projects.
Both have denied the allegations. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
