Sen. Ping Lacson Speaks on Upcoming Senate Flood Control Hearing
PING LACSON – The Senate Blue Ribbon Chairman claimed that they will no longer invite Zaldy Co to the flood control hearing.
The Senate, following the re-election of Sen. Lacson as Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, is set to resume its flood control hearing on Friday, November 14. It was previously reported that the chamber will invite 17 congressmen and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Sen. Ping Lacson also previously claimed that they will invite Zaldy Co to attend the Senate flood control hearing through Zoom. The resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative has yet to return to the Philippines amid the accusations of flood control corruption against him.
The Travel Clearance of Co was previously revoked by House Speake Bojie Dy. He was ordered to return to the Philippines and face the accusations against him but he did not heed the call. Instead, he resigned from being the representative of Ako Bicol; Partylist.
Ako Bicol Partylist stands by Zaldy Co amid the flood control corruption accusations against him. The partylist even called his resignation as allegedly a form of sacrifice. There are countless calls for Co to return to the country and face the accusations against him. Even his own son, Ellis Co, called on him to face the allegations.
However, recently, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson announced that the Blue Ribbon Committee will no longer invite Zaldy Co to the next Senate flood control hearing. Based on a report on GMA News, Lacson claimed that the Zoom attendance of Co might be used by the resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative for “propaganda purposes”.
“I didn’t push through with the initial plan to invite him via Zoom. On second thought, the hearing might afford him a platform to say anything he wants even with no probative value and worse, for propaganda purposes only without any accountability for at least possible contempt citation,” the Senator said.
Previously, presidential sister and Sen. Imee Marcos claimed that Zaldy Co will allegedly attend the Senate flood control hearing via Zoom. Sen. Marcos also claimed that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez allegedly backed off from being a state witness in the flood control issue.