The issuance of arrest warrants against ex-Rep. Elizaldy Co and several others tied to anomalous flood control projects shows the government means business in addressing the issue, but the public must remain angry without being violent to ensure such efforts continue, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson said authorities – particularly Malacanang, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice – cannot afford to ease up because those involved would be emboldened to try again if they get away with their actions now.
“I don’t want public outrage to lessen, so long as people remain non-violent. If public anger diminishes, government might slacken their efforts. As of now, they are working because of the pressure from our people. But this is so long as the outrage does not turn violent, like the Sept. 21 protest where some protesters damaged some traffic lights,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio.
“No matter how many, no matter how long it takes, get to the bottom to achieve the logical conclusion,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Dapat Manatiling ‘Galit’ Pero Hindi Marahas ang Publiko para Patuloy ang Laban ng Gobyerno vs Korapsyon
He said the Ombudsman and the national government’s actions last Friday showed they are taking action, enough to cause some partisan critics to “eat their words” that Co is untouchable.
Lacson noted the reports of Co being sighted in Japan may show the Interpol is watching his moves, and can arrest him once it receives a copy of his arrest warrant – after which Co can be brought back to the Philippines.
“He has to ride a plane and pass through immigration, so he can be tracked. He just cannot be arrested as of now because he is not yet on the Interpol’s red notice list since they have no copy of his arrest warrant. Still, he’s on their radar,” he said.
Lacson said that should Co be arrested and brought back to the Philippines, there is a chance he could be brought before the Blue Ribbon Committee, but added that if Co’s case has reached the Sandiganbayan by then, the committee must take measures to avoid breaking the sub judice principle, or discussing the merits of the case against Co before the anti-graft court.
Logical Conclusion:
Lacson said it is also important that the actions against those involved not be rushed, so long as they lead to the logical conclusion – their prosecution, conviction and jailing.
He cited the case of some officials including ex-undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin and Trygve Olaivar, who according to former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo caused the insertion of P100 billion into the 2025 budget bill, without President Marcos’ knowledge – because they had gotten away with it the past year.
Lacson noted that in 2024, those involved in the insertion of the P100 billion managed to divert P50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 budget for various infrastructure projects, including P30 billion for flood control projects alone.
“The DBM caused the release of that amount, in coordination with the Office of the Executive Secretary,” he recalled. “From what I know, they got away with it so they were emboldened to try it again in 2025.”
The list of projects to be funded was drawn up by then Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral, and discussed with then secretary Bonoan and then Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the number of personalities who could be implicated could reach 2,000 or higher, as the 1,200 initially estimated by Independent Commission for Infrastructure Commissioner Rogelio Singson is based only on the 420 ghost projects out of 8,000 initially inspected. During the last Blue Ribbon hearing, he said the number of suspected ghost projects had gone up to about 472.
“It’s so widespread that not just 1,200 could be implicated. It could be 2,000 or more,” Lacson said.
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Lacson: Dapat Manatiling ‘Galit’ Pero Hindi Marahas ang Publiko para Patuloy ang Laban ng Gobyerno vs Korapsyon
Ang paglabas ng mga arrest warrant laban kina dating Rep. Elizaldy Co at ilang mga sangkot sa maanomalyang flood control projects ay nagpapakita na seryoso ang gobyerno sa pagtugon sa isyu – nguni’t dapat manatiling galit ang publiko nang hindi nagiging marahas upang masiguro na magtutuloy-tuloy ang mga hakbang na ito, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.
Diin ni Lacson, hindi maaaring magpakampante ang mga awtoridad—lalo na ang Malacañang, Office of the Ombudsman, at Department of Justice—dahil maaaring tumapang ang loob ng mga sangkot at subukang ulitin ang kanilang ginawa kung makalusot sila ngayon.
“Ayokong humupa ang galit, huwag lang magulo. Kung humupa, baka mag-slacken ang effort ng authorities, particularly ng Malacañang, Ombudsman at DOJ. Lahat ngayon kumikilos because of the pressure ng mga kababayan natin… Pero ‘wag maging violent tulad ng Sept. 21 protest na sinisira ang traffic lights,” aniya sa isang panayam sa DWIZ.
“No matter how many, no matter how long it takes, get to the bottom at makuha ang logical conclusion. Ipakulong lahat na dapat pakulong,” dagdag pa niya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na ang mga aksyon ng Ombudsman at ng pambansang gobyerno nitong nakaraang Biyernes ay nagpapatunay na kumikilos ang mga ito, sapat para “mapakain ng salita” ang ilang partisanong kritiko na nagsasabing hindi kayang galawin si Co.
Tinukoy pa niya ang ulat na nakita si Co sa Japan, na maaaring indikasyon na minomonitor ng Interpol ang kanyang galaw at maaari siyang arestuhin kapag natanggap na nila ang kopya ng arrest warrant—at pagkatapos ay maibabalik siya sa Pilipinas.
“Sasakay at sasakay yan sa eroplano, dadaan at dadaan yan sa immigration. So tina-track na siya. Kung saan siya magpunta ibabahagi. Hindi lang siya pwede arestuhin dahil wala pa sa red notice list kasi wala pang arrest warrant. Pero sa ngayon dahil kung patuloy ang pag-track di siya mawawala sa radar ng Interpol kasi international body yan, may coordination yan,” aniya.
Dagdag pa ni Lacson, kung maaresto at maibalik sa bansa si Co, posibleng mailahad siya sa Blue Ribbon Committee. Gayunman, kapag umabot na sa Sandiganbayan ang kaso ni Co, dapat mag-ingat ang komite upang hindi malabag ang sub judice rule, o ang pagbabawal na talakayin ang merito ng kasong nasa korte.
Logical Conclusion
Ani Lacson, mahalagang hindi madaliin ang mga aksyon laban sa mga sangkot, basta’t humahantong ang mga ito sa “logical conclusion” o ang kanilang pagsasakdal, pagkakakulong, at pagpaparusa.
Tinukoy niya ang kaso nina dating undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin at Trygve Olaivar, na ayon kay dating Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo ay nagpasok ng P100 bilyon sa panukalang budget para sa 2025 nang hindi alam ni Pangulong Marcos—dahil nakalusot daw sila noong nakaraang taon.
Ayon kay Lacson, noong 2024 ay nagawa ng ilang opisyal na sangkot na idivert ang P50 bilyon mula sa unprogrammed appropriations sa 2024 budget para sa iba’t ibang proyekto sa imprastruktura—kabilang ang P30 bilyon para sa flood control projects lamang.
“Ang nagpa-release noon DBM, tapos naka-coordinate ‘yan sa Office of the Executive Secretary,” aniya. “Ang alam ko lang, lumulusot kasi sila kaya sa 2025 malakas uli loob nila.”
Ang listahan ng mga proyektong popondohan ay ginawa umano ni dating Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral at tinalakay kay dating Secretary Bonoan at dating Undersecretary Bernardo.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na maaaring umabot sa 2,000 o higit pa ang bilang ng mga personalidad na posibleng masangkot, dahil ang 1,200 na unang estimate ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure Commissioner Rogelio Singson ay batay lamang sa 420 “ghost projects” sa 8,000 na unang ininspeksiyon. Sa huling pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee, sinabi niyang umakyat na sa humigit-kumulang 472 ang bilang ng mga pinaghihinalaang ghost projects.
“Napakalawak kaya ‘di lang 1,200 ‘yan. Baka umabot ng 2,000 mahigit,” ani Lacson.
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