Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Sunday called out the “fake” premises cited by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta regarding the Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the flood control scandal, and an ethics complaint he has threatened to file against him.
Lacson said Marcoleta’s call to summon former Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin to the Blue Ribbon probe over alleged text messages with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was baseless, noting Bersamin was not mentioned in the committee’s records.
As for Marcoleta’s prospective ethics complaint over a supposed spliced video, Lacson said it was similarly unfounded.
“He’s been basing his statements and accusations on wrong premises. They’re all fake,” he said in English and Filipino, in an interview on DZBB radio.
In Filipino: Lacson, Tinuligsa ang Mga Pekeng Banat ni Marcoleta sa Blue Ribbon Probe at Bantang Ethics Complaint
On the Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, Lacson said Bersamin was never implicated as far as the Blue Ribbon Committee is concerned.
He had mentioned Undersecretary Bersamin while interpellating the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) during last year’s budget deliberations, based on the revelations of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
“But Bernardo never testified on that matter before the Blue Ribbon Committee. For some reason no one asked him about that. If someone asked him about it and he mentioned Bersamin, we would have had a basis to pursue it,” he said.
“I have mentioned before that the investigation does not target anyone. If it did, it would be a baseless witch-hunt,” he added. “It will be difficult if we started a witch-hunt. The investigation would go wayward.”
As of this weekend, Lacson said some senators have indicated they will sign the Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial committee report, with possible interpellations and amendments. Nine signatures – a majority of the 17 regular members – are needed to file the report before the Bills and Index section.
‘Ethics Complaint’
Lacson also questioned Marcoleta’s threat to lodge an ethics complaint against him for supposedly “splicing” a recording of Marcoleta’s pronouncements suggesting that we “give up” the Kalayaan Island Group to China.
He said the Reel on his official Facebook page managed by his Senate office merely replayed Marcoleta’s statements during a hearing of the Commission on Appointments, with no splicing involved.
“His discourse took so long that the reel cut to the chase. What was spliced there? You don’t have to splice what he said. You just need to replay it,” he said.
“I don’t know what his basis is, but it is his right to file an ethics complaint if he wants. I’m just saying I don’t know how to splice a video,” he added.
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Lacson, Tinuligsa ang Mga Pekeng Banat ni Marcoleta sa Blue Ribbon Probe at Bantang Ethics Complaint
Pinuna ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Linggo ang mga pekeng premise na binanggit ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta tungkol sa imbestigasyon ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa flood control scandal, pati na rin ang banta nitong ethics complaint laban sa kanya.
Ayon kay Lacson, walang basehan ang panawagan ni Marcoleta na imbitahan si dating Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin sa Blue Ribbon probe kaugnay ng diumano’y text messages kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., dahil hindi naman nabanggit si Bersamin sa talaan ng komite.
Wala ring basehan ang banta ni Marcoleta ng ethics complaint kaugnay ng diumano’y spliced na video, dagdag ng mambabatas.
“Mali-mali ang premise lagi niya. Nagbibintang siya, mali ang kanyang premise. Puro fake eh,” ani Lacson sa isang panayam sa DZBB.
Sa imbestigasyon ng Blue Ribbon Committee, sinabi ni Lacson na hindi kailanman na-implicate si Bersamin.
Nabanggit lamang si Undersecretary Bersamin nang nag-interpellate si Lacson sa Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) noong nakaraang budget deliberations, batay sa pahayag ni dating DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
“Pero hindi naman niya tinestify sa Blue Ribbon Committee yan. For some reason wala ring nagtanong sa kanya. Kung may nagtanong sa kanya at binanggit niya yan e di meron kaming ipu-pursue,” dagdag niya.
Binigyang-diin ni Lacson na hindi target ng imbestigasyon ang sinuman:
“Sabi ko hindi tayo nagta-target. Kung nagta-target tayo witch-hunt ang tawag doon na walang basehan… Mahirap kung magsimula tayong mag witch-hunt wayward na. Parang ang gulo na ng pagdinig natin niyan,” aniya.
Ayon kay Lacson, may mga senador nang nagsabing pipirma sila sa partial report ng Blue Ribbon Committee, na maaaring may interpellations at amendments. Kailangan ng siyam na pirma — majority ng 17 regular na miyembro — bago maipasa ang report sa Bills and Index section.
‘Ethics Complaint’
Kinwestiyon din ni Lacson ang banta ni Marcoleta na magsampa ng ethics complaint laban sa kanya dahil sa diumano’y “splicing” ng recording ng pahayag ni Marcoleta na nagmumungkahi na isuko natin ang Kalayaan Island Group sa China.
Sinabi ni Lacson na ang Reel sa opisyal niyang Facebook page, na pinamamahalaan ng kanyang Senate office, ay nag-replay lamang ng pahayag ni Marcoleta sa hearing ng Commission on Appointments at walang splicing na naganap.
“Sa haba ng discourse niya, naputol sa sinabing i-give up natin. So anong na-splice doon? Di naman kailangan i-splice ang sinabi niya kundi ire-replay mo lang,” ani Lacson.
“I don’t know anong basehan niya pero it is his right na mag-file ng ethics complaint kung gusto niya. Pero sinasabi ko na sa kanya na hindi ako marunong mag-splice,” dagdag niya.
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