Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday defended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s institutional processes against the “pagbibida-bida” (know-it-all actions) of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on the committee’s investigation into the flood control scandal.
In a privilege speech, Lacson, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, refuted what he called Marcoleta’s “tirades and prevarications in and out of the Senate” targeting him.
“Much as I would like to abide by what my elders had taught me that “silence is the best response to nonsense,” I am constrained to take the floor to set the record straight and correct the prevarications spewed on this very floor by one of our colleagues, namely Senator Rodante Marcoleta,” he said.
“Like on many past occasions, I could have effortlessly dismissed Senator Marcoleta’s statements, as I refuse to dignify his ego-driven provocations. But when the attacks shift from professional to obsessively personal, I must shut the whole political circus down – firmly, completely, and without ambiguity,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Binoljak si Marcoleta sa Pagbibida-Bida sa Blue Ribbon Probe
Lacson maintained that Marcoleta’s release of the so-called “minority report” and its contents was an affront to the Blue Ribbon Committee and to him as its chairman – including the “minority report” claiming that the Blue Ribbon Committee cannot compete with national prosecution services and the judiciary in disposing of the cases.
“Wala sa lugar. Wala sa hulog. Sa ganang akin lang din naman: kagulat-gulat po ba ang naging reaksyon ng representasyon na ito na walang lugar ang ulat na yan kundi sa basurahan (Out of line. Out of place. So is it any surprise that my reaction is that this report belongs to nowhere else but the trash bin)?” he said.
Also, Lacson shut down Marcoleta’s complaint that he has yet to receive a copy of the draft partial committee report. He pointed out his office furnished an advanced copy of the report to Blue Ribbon members’ offices as early as Feb. 11.
He added that his office followed up with the other senators if they wished to sign the report, even if they intended to dissent or interpellate. Yet, Marcoleta did not sign it as only Sen. Bam Aquino signed it, he noted.
“Bakit ngayon ay maghahanap siya ng Blue Ribbon Committee report na nakatengga sa kanyang opisina ng isang buwan pa (Why is he now looking for a Blue Ribbon Committee report that had been in his office for a month)?” Lacson said.
As for Marcoleta’s dare to name 67 so-called “cong-tractors,” Lacson said he was informed about it by a congressman-friend and that he does not have such a list.
‘Obsession’
Lacson said Marcoleta may have become obsessed with him – to the extent of stalking his interviews and social media updates and nitpicking every statement he uttered – and even tricking the Senate to cry foul “armed with nothing but his draining litany” – when Lacson inquired about Marcoleta’s “HILAW” interpretation of Senate Rules relative to his “Motion to Dismiss” in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte in August 2025.
“Ewan ko, Mr. President — simula nang nasopla ko si Senator Marcoleta sa floor ay tila nagtanim na siya ng poot sa kanyang dibdib (I don’t know, Mr. President. Since I shut down Marcoleta on the floor, he appeared to hold a grudge against me),” he said.
He said Marcoleta would nitpick his first privilege speech on the flood control scandal, where he said on his TV show that one cannot deliver a speech on a matter already being tackled by a major panel like the Blue Ribbon Committee, which Marcoleta chaired at the time – even if there was no such rule.
After the Senate leadership change and reorganization of Senate panels – including Lacson replacing Marcoleta as chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee – Marcoleta continued his criticisms against Lacson, “much of it characterized by a profound lack of respect for both this representation and the Blue Ribbon Committee.”
These included disrupting the Sept. 23 Blue Ribbon hearing with a “prejudicial question” on Lacson’s impartiality as chairman, invoking the issue “at the top of his voice and out of order and decorum, continuously interrupting the chairman and everybody else while shamelessly appearing to act as counsel for the Discaya couple, without even disclosing before the committee members that one of his family members was an independent director of insurance companies that provided bonds for contractors owned by the P207B flood-control contractors – Curlee and Sarah Discaya.”
Lacson also cited news reports showing a damning link between Marcoleta and the Discayas – including one where a relative of Marcoleta was said to hold a directorship at Stronghold Inc., and Milestone Guaranty, insurance companies that provided bonds for contractors owned by the Discayas – “raising conflict-of-interest questions in a high-profile Senate probe.”
On Sept. 25 last year, Marcoleta presented Orly Guteza as a “surprise witness” but lawyer Petchie Espera, whose name appeared on Guteza’s sworn statement, denied notarizing it.
“On many occasions, Senator Marcoleta made statements that undermined the authority and collective integrity of the Committee,” Lacson said.
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Lacson, Binoljak si Marcoleta sa Pagbibida-Bida sa Blue Ribbon Probe
Binoljak ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson nitong Martes si Sen. Rodante Marcoleta sa kanyang “pagbibida-bida” kaugnay ng imbestigasyon ng komite sa flood control scandal, sabay pagtanggol sa mga institutional na proseso ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee na kanyang pinamumunuan.
Sa isang privilege speech, pinabulaanan ni Lacson ang tinawag niyang mga “tirades and prevarications in and out of the Senate” ni Marcoleta na nakatuon sa kanya.
“Much as I would like to abide by what my elders had taught me that “silence is the best response to nonsense,” I am constrained to take the floor to set the record straight and correct the prevarications spewed on this very floor by one of our colleagues, namely Senator Rodante Marcoleta,” aniya.
“Like on many past occasions, I could have effortlessly dismissed Senator Marcoleta’s statements, as I refuse to dignify his ego-driven provocations. But when the attacks shift from professional to obsessively personal, I must shut the whole political circus down – firmly, completely, and without ambiguity,” dagdag ng mambabatas.
Iginiit ni Lacson na ang paglalabas ni Marcoleta ng tinaguriang “minority report” at ang nilalaman nito ay isang paglapastangan sa Blue Ribbon Committee at sa kanya bilang chairman nito — lalo na ang pahayag sa nasabing ulat na hindi umano kayang makipagsabayan ng komite sa pambansang prosecution services at sa hudikatura sa pagresolba ng mga kaso.
“Wala sa lugar. Wala sa hulog. Sa ganang akin lang din naman: kagulat-gulat po ba ang naging reaksyon ng representasyon na ito na walang lugar ang ulat na yan kundi sa basurahan?” aniya.
Pinabulaanan din ni Lacson ang reklamo ni Marcoleta na hindi pa umano siya nakakatanggap ng kopya ng draft partial committee report. Ayon kay Lacson, nagpadala na ang kanyang tanggapan ng advanced copy ng ulat sa mga opisina ng mga miyembro ng Blue Ribbon Committee noong Pebrero 11 pa lamang.
Dagdag niya, nag-follow up ang kanyang tanggapan sa iba pang mga senador kung nais nilang lagdaan ang ulat, kahit pa balak nilang magpahayag ng dissent o mag-interpellate. Gayunman, sinabi ni Lacson na hindi ito nilagdaan ni Marcoleta, at si Sen. Bam Aquino pa lamang ang lumagda.
“Bakit ngayon ay maghahanap siya ng Blue Ribbon Committee report na nakatengga sa kanyang opisina ng isang buwan pa?” tanong ni Lacson .
Tungkol naman sa hamon ni Marcoleta na pangalanan ang umano’y 67 na tinaguriang “cong-tractors,” sinabi ni Lacson na isang kaibigang kongresista ang nagpaalam sa kanya tungkol dito at wala siyang hawak na ganoong listahan.
‘Obsession’
Sinabi ni Lacson na tila naging obsesyon na ni Marcoleta ang kanyang mga pahayag — hanggang sa puntong sinusundan umano nito ang kanyang mga panayam at social media updates at pinupuna ang bawat pahayag niya — at ginagamit pa ito upang magreklamo sa Senado kahit wala umanong matibay na batayan. Nangyari ito matapos tanungin ni Lacson ang “HILAW” na interpretasyon ni Marcoleta sa Senate Rules kaugnay ng kanyang “Motion to Dismiss” sa impeachment case laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte noong Agosto 2025.
“Ewan ko, Mr. President — simula nang nasopla ko si Senator Marcoleta sa floor ay tila nagtanim na siya ng poot sa kanyang dibdib,” aniya.
Ayon kay Lacson, pinuna rin ni Marcoleta ang kanyang unang privilege speech tungkol sa flood control scandal. Sa kanyang TV show, sinabi ni Marcoleta na hindi umano maaaring magtalumpati tungkol sa isang usapin na tinatalakay na ng isang pangunahing komite tulad ng Blue Ribbon Committee, na siya pang pinamumunuan noon ni Marcoleta — kahit wala naman umanong ganoong tuntunin.
Matapos ang pagbabago sa liderato ng Senado at ang reorganisasyon ng mga komite — kung saan pinalitan ni Lacson si Marcoleta bilang Blue Ribbon Committee chairman — nagpatuloy umano si Marcoleta sa pagbatikos laban kay Lacson, na aniya’y walang respeto sa kanya at sa Blue Ribbon Committee.
Kabilang dito ang umano’y paggambala ni Marcoleta sa pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon noong Setyembre 23 sa pamamagitan ng isang “prejudicial question” tungkol sa pagiging patas ni Lacson bilang chairman. Ayon kay Lacson, iginiit umano ito ni Marcoleta nang malakas at labag sa kaayusan at decorum ng pagdinig, habang patuloy na pinuputol ang nagsasalitang chairman at iba pang kalahok.
Tila kumikilos pa siya bilang abogado ng mag-asawang Discaya, nang hindi ibinubunyag sa komite na ang isang miyembro ng kanyang pamilya ay independent director ng mga insurance company na nagbigay ng bonds sa mga contractor na pag-aari ng P207-bilyong flood-control contractors na sina Curlee at Sarah Discaya, dagdag ni Lacson.
Binanggit din ni Lacson ang mga ulat sa media na nagpapakita umano ng ugnayan ni Marcoleta sa mga Discaya. Sa isa sa mga ulat, sinasabing may kamag-anak si Marcoleta na nagsilbing director sa Stronghold Inc. at Milestone Guaranty—mga insurance company na nagbigay ng bonds sa mga contractor ng Discaya—na aniya’y “raising conflict-of-interest questions in a high-profile Senate probe.”
Noong Setyembre 25 ng nakaraang taon, ipinakilala ni Marcoleta si Orly Guteza bilang isang “surprise witness.” Gayunman, itinanggi ni abogadong Petchie Espera — na lumabas ang pangalan sa sworn statement ni Guteza — na siya ang nag-notaryo nito.
“On many occasions, Senator Marcoleta made statements that undermined the authority and collective integrity of the Committee,” ani Lacson.
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