An internal cleansing of the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee will be one of the priorities of new chairman Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, aside from immediately buckling down to work and continuing where the former chairman has left off.
Lacson cited the need for an internal cleansing after an alleged staff of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was linked to a supposed “delivery of obligation” (a.k.a. “lagay” or bribe) during a congressional hearing on Tuesday and was identified by Sen. Estrada as a staff of the Blue Ribbon panel.
“In the House committee hearing today (Tuesday), a Blue Ribbon staff member identified by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as Beng Ramos was linked to a supposed delivery of obligation aka ‘lagay’ by WJ Construction that was awarded a project by then Bulacan 1st DEO Henry Alcantara,” Lacson said in a post on X.
“Since I am not sure if there is only one Beng Ramos in the Blue Ribbon Committee which I was just elected by my peers to chair, just like (Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary) Vince Dizon, maybe I also need to do a simultaneous internal cleansing while buckling down to work,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Uunahin ang Internal Cleansing sa Blue Ribbon Committee
Also, Lacson stressed the cleansing is especially important as the Blue Ribbon panel is tasked to look into government misconduct and to check accountability.
Lacson, who was formally elected Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Tuesday afternoon, had done an internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police when he headed it from 1999 to 2001. The internal cleansing rid the PNP of mulcting policemen and other misfits, and led to high public trust.
Earlier Tuesday, former Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez claimed in a House inquiry that Estrada received a 30-percent kickback from P355 million worth of allocations.
Hernandez showed photos of Estrada with ex-Bulacan first engineering district head Henry Alcantara – and screenshots of a message exchange involving an alleged member of Estrada’s staff identified as Beng Ramos.
In denying the allegations, Estrada said he had no staff member named Beng Ramos since entering the Senate in 2004. He added Ramos was a staff member of the Blue Ribbon Committee, and a former girlfriend of one of his Senate staff.
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Lacson, Uunahin ang Internal Cleansing sa Blue Ribbon Committee
Ang internal cleansing ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ang magiging isa sa mga pangunahing prayoridad ng bagong pinuno nito na si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson – bukod sa agad na pagtutok sa trabaho at pagpapatuloy sa iniwan ng dating chairman.
Iginiit ito ni Lacson matapos na maiugnay ang umano’y staff ni Sen. Jinggoy Estrada sa isang “delivery of obligation” (a.k.a. “lagay”) sa isang congressional hearing nitong Martes, at kinilala ni Estrada ang naturang staff bilang bahagi ng Blue Ribbon panel.
“In the House committee hearing today, a Blue Ribbon staff member identified by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as Beng Ramos was linked to a supposed delivery of obligation aka ‘lagay’ by WJ Construction that was awarded a project by then Bulacan 1st DEO Henry Alcantara,” ani Lacson sa isang post sa X.
“Since I am not sure if there is only one Beng Ramos in the Blue Ribbon Committee which I was just elected by my peers to chair, just like DPWH Sec Vince Dizon, maybe I also need to do a simultaneous internal cleansing while buckling down to work,” dagdag niya.
Ani Lacson, mahalagang tiyakin na malinis ang komite dahil inatasan itong magbantay ng maling gawain lalo na sa gobyerno.
Pinamunuan ni Lacson ang internal cleansing ng Philippine National Police noong siya ang hepe nito mula 1999 hanggang 2001. Ang paglilinis na iyon ay nagtanggal sa puwersa ng pulisya ng mga pulis na sangkot sa pang-aabuso. Dahil dito, nakamtan ng kapulisan sa pamumuno ni Lacson ang tıwala ng taumbayan.
Sa pagdinig ng Kamara nitong Martes, sinabi ni dating Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez na tumanggap si Estrada ng kickback mula sa P355 milyon ng alokasyon.
Ipinakita ni Hernandez ang mga larawan ni Estrada kasama ang dating Bulacan first engineering district head na si Henry Alcantara — pati na rin ang screenshots ng mensahe na kinasasangkutan umano ng isang staff ni Estrada na tinukoy bilang Beng Ramos.
Sa pagtanggi sa mga paratang, sinabi ni Estrada na wala siyang staff member na nagngangalang Beng Ramos simula nang pumasok siya sa Senado noong 2004. Dagdag niya, si Ramos ay isang staff member ng Blue Ribbon Committee at dating kasintahan ng isa sa kanyang Senate staff.
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JINGOY ESTRADA HAS BEEN LINK TO SEVERAL ANOLMALIES LIKE PORK BARREL BEFORE. THIS SENATOR DOES NOT HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY IN ANY SENSE. JUST THE MERE FACT THAT HIS NAME AND OTHER SENATORS WERE MENTIONED IT WOULD BE HARD TO DISREGARD IT. NO ORDINARY CITIZEN WOULD DARE TO IMPLICATE SUCH POWERFUL SENATORS.