Evidence, and not noise, will indict and convict those involved in the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed Monday.
At the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing into the issue, Lacson tore into “skeptics, detractors, and hijackers” for twisting public anger to divide the nation.
“Your noise will not silence the truth; neither does it provide any help in our investigation. Your noise cannot convict – and won’t even indict the malefactors in this flood control mess. Only evidence does,” he said.
“With all that being said – as the Chairman of this committee – I say to you: Shut the f… up!” Lacson said, referring to detractors of the committee’s work.
In Filipino: Lacson, Binalikan ang mga Nanggugulo: Ebidensiya, Hindi Ingay, ang Magpapakulong sa mga May Sala sa Flood Control Issue
Lacson also stressed their insinuations that the Blue Ribbon Committee is useless is “not only insensitive to its members but an insult to our fellow Filipinos who have consistently followed our hearings and participated in the trillion-peso march” – including the clergy, students, ordinary workers and all concerned citizens.
These Filipinos became aware of the “unbridled and systemic corruption” mainly due to the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and the media who cover the proceedings, he added.
Lacson noted that the Blue Ribbon Committee under his chairmanship has uncovered through its hearings the “top-to-bottom systemic misuse and abuse of public funds involving high officials in the executive and legislative branches, even the Commission on Audit.”
Presently, he said some now face charges before the Sandiganbayan and the courts, while others face preliminary investigations before the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice. These include contractors and high officials in the executive and legislative branches of government.
At least ₱21.7 billion in bank accounts and other assets have been frozen by written order of the Court of Appeals, even as some personalities have agreed to cooperate in restituting funds and strengthening the government’s cases including plunder, malversation of public funds through falsification, and graft.
On the other hand, Lacson said the committee hearings exposed the conflict of interest in the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), and blacklisted companies resurfacing under new names, the rampant practice of license-renting, and the awarding of billion-peso contracts to severely undercapitalized firms.
The hearings likewise paved the way for landmark transparency reforms in the budget process, including the transition to livestream and open bicameral meetings that detailed budget amendments and insertions that are now traceable to their proponents – as well as safeguards to ensure that no vague or undefined infrastructure projects are included in the General Appropriations Act.
“We laid out how this deeply rooted scheme operates with systemic precision. It involves a network of actors: namely, the Contractors Group, who collude among themselves – to rig public biddings and monopolize flood control projects; key DPWH coordinators, who manage project allocations and orchestrate the collection and delivery of kickbacks; and intermediaries, agents or bagmen, who receive these illicit funds allegedly in behalf of their principals,” Lacson said.
“Let me emphasize one point: we always go where the evidence leads us. We do not target any particular person; nor do we have the intention to cover up for anybody,” he added.
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Lacson, Binalikan ang mga Nanggugulo: Ebidensiya, Hindi Ingay, ang Magpapakulong sa mga May Sala sa Flood Control Issue
Ebidensiya, at hindi ang ingay, ang didiin at magpapakulong sa mga sangkot sa katiwalian sa likod ng mga maanomalyang flood control project, giit ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Lunes.
Sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa isyu, tinuligsa ni Lacson ang mga tinawag niyang “skeptics, detractors, and hijackers” dahil sa pagbaluktot umano nila sa galit ng publiko upang pagwatak-watakin ang bansa.
“Your noise will not silence the truth; neither does it provide any help in our investigation. Your noise cannot convict – and won’t even indict the malefactors in this flood control mess. Only evidence does,” aniya.
“With all that being said – as the Chairman of this committee – I say to you: Shut the f… up!” dagdag ni Lacson, na tumutukoy sa mga nanggugulo at tumutuligsa sa gawain ng komite.
Binigyang-diin ni Lacson na ang mga paratang na walang silbi ang Blue Ribbon Committee ay hindi lang “insensitive” sa myembro ng komite nguni’t insulto sa mga Pilipinong sumusunod sa pagdinig at nakilahok sa “trillion-peso march” — kabilang ang mga miyembro ng simbahan, estudyante, karaniwang manggagawa, at iba pang mga mamamayang may malasakit.
Aniya, naging mulat ang mga Pilipinong ito sa “unbridled and systemic corruption” dahil sa mga pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee at sa media na nagbabalita ng mga nagaganap sa mga ito.
Binanggit ni Lacson na sa ilalim ng kanyang pamumuno, nabunyag ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa pamamagitan ng mga pagdinig ang “top-to-bottom systemic misuse and abuse of public funds involving high officials in the executive and legislative branches, even the Commission on Audit.”
Sa kasalukuyan, aniya, may ilan nang nahaharap sa mga kaso sa Sandiganbayan at iba pang hukuman, habang ang iba naman ay dumaraan sa preliminary investigation sa Office of the Ombudsman at Department of Justice. Kabilang dito ang mga kontratista at matataas na opisyal mula sa ehekutibo at lehislatura.
Hindi bababa sa ₱21.7 bilyon sa mga bank account at iba pang ari-arian ang na-freeze sa bisa ng nakasulat na utos ng Court of Appeals, habang may ilang personalidad na pumayag na makipagtulungan sa pagbabalik ng pondo at sa pagpapatibay ng mga kaso ng gobyerno, kabilang ang plunder, malversation of public funds through falsification, at graft.
Sa kabilang banda, sinabi ni Lacson na inilantad din ng mga pagdinig ng komite ang conflict of interest sa Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), ang muling paglitaw ng mga blacklisted na kumpanya sa ilalim ng bagong pangalan, ang laganap na praktis ng license-renting, at ang paggawad ng bilyong pisong kontrata sa mga kumpanyang kulang na kulang sa kapital.
Binuksan din ng mga pagdinig ang daan para sa mahahalagang reporma sa transparency sa proseso ng badyet, kabilang ang paglipat sa livestream at bukas na bicameral meetings na malinaw na nagdedetalye ng mga amyenda at insertions sa badyet na ngayon ay natutunton na sa kanilang mga nagpanukala—gayundin ang mga pananggalang upang matiyak na walang malabo o hindi tiyak na proyektong pang-imprastraktura ang maisasama sa General Appropriations Act.
“We laid out how this deeply rooted scheme operates with systemic precision. It involves a network of actors: namely, the Contractors Group, who collude among themselves – to rig public biddings and monopolize flood control projects; key DPWH coordinators, who manage project allocations and orchestrate the collection and delivery of kickbacks; and intermediaries, agents or bagmen, who receive these illicit funds allegedly in behalf of their principals,” ani Lacson.
“Let me emphasize one point: we always go where the evidence leads us. We do not target any particular person; nor do we have the intention to cover up for anybody,” dagdag niya.
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