Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson Speaks on Flood Control Investigation
PING LACSON – If reelected as Blue Ribbon chairman, the Senator claimed that he wants to resume the flood control probe on November 14, 2025 with a “very important witness”.
Following the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the House of Representatives stopped its flood control investigation. House Speaker Bojie Dy said the investigation is best left in the hands of the ICI. With regards to the Senate, their flood control investigation continued.
It was only after Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson resigning from being the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee that the flood control probe of the upper chamber paused. It has yet to resume since Lacson stepped down from the post over the supposed dissatisfaction of his fellow lawmakers on where the probe is leading.
Five (5) senators were candidates to be the next Senate Blue Ribbon chairperson. They are senators Raffy Tulfo, Kiko Pangilinan, Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito, and Risa Hontiveros. However, Tulfo, Pangilinan, and Ejercito immediately refused to take the post.
After the three (3) senators declined the post, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto announced that Sen. Erwin Tulfo, the vice chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, is also a candidate for the chairmanship. Not long after it, the Senate President announced that Tulfo will serve as the acting chairman of the committee.
Recently, with the Senate flood control probe having yet to resume, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto confirmed that Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson will retake the Blue Ribbon chairmanship. According to Sotto, the clamor of their fellow lawmakers for Lacson to return to the position might have reached the Senate President Pro Tempore.
Lacson previously warned that his return to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship may lead the majority bloc to lose some of its members. Furthermore, he also believes that it might place the Senate presidency of Sotto at risk.
Recently, Sen. Ping Lacson broke his silence over the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairmanship. Based on a report on GMA News, the Senate President Pro Tempore said he wants the flood control probe to resume on November 14 if he will be reelected as the panel’s chairman on November 10.
Furthermore, Lacson also said that he wants to invite former marine Orly Guteza. Based on the report, he also wants to invited errant contractors and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“If elected again as Blue Ribbon chairman on Nov 10, our hearing will resume on Nov 14. To help speed up the filing of airtight cases against some politicians, DPWH officials and errant contractors, we will invite among others, a ‘very important witness’ and retired T/Sgt Orly Guteza to shed more light on his ‘sinumpaang salaysay,'” he said.
Guteza claimed that he is allegedly a former staff of Zaldy Co. According to the former marine, he was supposedly part of the group who delivered millions of money to the residences of Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The presidential denied the allegations before the ICI.
Amid the public clamor, the ICI refused to release recordings of the past flood control hearings it has conducted. Aside from Romualdez, Sen. Chiz Escudero also appeared before the commission.