Once its partial committee report on the flood control scandal is formally filed, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee may invite to its next hearing captured former Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co – along with Orly Guteza and the former soldiers who claimed to have delivered P805 billion in alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood projects to various personalities on Co’s orders.
Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon panel Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday that the testimonies of Guteza and the ex-soldiers are “interconnected” with Co.
“Once Co is in the Philippines and the court allows it, I plan to have him attend the hearing along with Guteza and the ex-soldiers so we will find out who is truthful, who is telling half-truths, and who is lying,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
In Filipino: Lacson Plano Imbitahan si Co, Mga Ex-Sundalo sa Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing
“We can also invite them to separate hearings but I think it would be better if we invite Co along with the ex-soldiers who claimed to deliver P805 billion cash in suitcases. And if possible, we invite Guteza too, so we will know who is telling the truth,” he said in a separate interview on DZBB radio.
He added Co – who served as chairman of the House appropriations committee – could make a significant contribution to the hearings since he has been described as the architect of the flood control anomalies.
“It would be a major development if he cooperated. He can contribute a lot. He has been described as the architect of the mess, by inserting and allocating funds particularly to the Department of Public Works and Highways,” he said.
Lacson said the panel may invite other personalities such as former Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin and former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, if Co mentions them in his testimony before the panel.
He said they did not consider Co’s previous statements posted on social media because these were not made under oath or covered by Philippine laws.
“Bersamin and Pangandaman were not mentioned before the Blue Ribbon Committee. If Co testifies before the committee and mentions them, we have a basis to invite them,” he said.
As for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Lacson said the President cannot be summoned by the Senate because of the principle of separation of powers, while any invitation to Romualdez should be coursed through the Office of the Speaker as a matter of inter-parliamentary courtesy.
Lacson said the Blue Ribbon Committee will invite Co with leave of court, “since he has a pending warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan.” He added the Blue Ribbon panel had issued a show-cause order to Co after he skipped its hearing last Jan. 19.
Earlier this week, Lacson said further hearings of the Blue Ribbon Committee are suspended pending his sponsorship of the panel’s partial committee report.
But he maintained he is confident he will get the needed nine signatures for the committee’s partial report to be reported out in plenary where senators can debate upon, amend, and adopt it.
Co, who claimed he had facilitated the delivery of money to top government officials, was arrested in Prague for alleged illegal entry. Philippine authorities are coordinating with Czech counterparts to arrange his return to the Philippines.
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Lacson Plano Imbitahan si Co, Mga Ex-Sundalo sa Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing
Kapag pormal nang naihain ang partial committee report nito tungkol sa flood control scandal, maaaring imbitahan ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sa susunod nitong pagdinig ang nadakip na ex-Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co —kasama si Orly Guteza at ang mga dating sundalo na nag-angking naghatid ng P805 bilyon sa umano’y kickbacks mula sa mga maanomalyang proyekto sa flood control sa iba’t ibang personalidad, batay sa utos ni Co.
Sinabi ni Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes na ang mga testimonya ni Guteza at ng mga dating sundalo ay “interconnected” kay Co.
“Plano ko nga, pag nandito si Zaldy Co at pinayagan kami ng korte, pagsasabay-sabayin ko na yan kasi interconnected sila. Si Guteza and ex-soldiers, pagsasabayin ko na sila para magkaalaman kung sino ang truthful, kung sino ang half-truth, at kung sino ang nagsisinungaling,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM radio.
“O pwedeng i-calibrate, one after the other. Pero mas maganda sa tingin ko magkasabay sa pagdinig ang mga ex-soldiers na sinasabing nag-deliver ng male-maletang P805 bilyon at si Zaldy Co, and kung posible pati si Guteza kasi connected kay Zaldy Co ang testimony ng mga ex-soldiers, para magkaalaman kung ano talaga ang totoo,” dagdag niya sa panayam sa DZBB radio.
Dagdag niya na si Co — na nagsilbing chairman ng House appropriations committee — ay maaaring makapagbigay ng malaking ambag sa mga pagdinig, dahil inilalarawan itong arkitekto ng mga anomalya sa flood control.
“Malaking bagay kung magko-cooperate ang mai-contribute si Zaldy Co. Alam natin siya ang tumatayong parang arkitekto lalo sa pag-insert at paglalagak ng pondo pati pag-allocate particularly sa DPWH,” aniya.
Sinabi din ni Lacson na maaaring imbitahan ng panel ang iba pang personalidad tulad nina dating Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin at dating Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, kung mababanggit sila ni Co sa kanyang testimonya.
Aniya, hindi isinama sa konsiderasyon ang mga naunang pahayag ni Co sa social media dahil hindi ito ginawa sa ilalim ng panunumpa o saklaw ng mga batas ng Pilipinas.
“Wala sa record ng BRC yan. Kaya kung sa testimony niya mabanggit niya ipapatawag natin sila,” aniya.
Tungkol naman kina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at dating Speaker Martin Romualdez, sinabi ni Lacson na hindi maaaring ipatawag ng Senado ang Pangulo dahil sa prinsipyo ng separation of powers, habang ang anumang imbitasyon kay Romualdez ay dapat idaan sa Office of the Speaker bilang bahagi ng inter-parliamentary courtesy.
Sinabi ni Lacson na iimbitahan ng Blue Ribbon Committee si Co nang may pahintulot ng korte, dahil may pending arrest warrant siya galing sa Sandiganbayan. Idinagdag niyang naglabas na ng show-cause order ang panel laban kay Co matapos nitong hindi dumalo sa pagdinig noong Enero 19.
Nabanggit na noon ni Lacson na suspendido ang mga susunod na pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee habang hinihintay ang kanyang sponsorship ng partial committee report ng panel.
Kumpiyansa siya na makukuha niya ang kinakailangang siyam na lagda upang maihain ang partial report sa plenaryo, kung saan maaari itong pagdebatehan, amyendahan, at pagtibayin ng mga senador.
Si Co, na nag-angking siya ang nagpadaloy ng pera sa matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan, ay inaresto sa Prague dahil sa umano’y illegal entry. Nakikipag-ugnayan ang mga awtoridad ng Pilipinas sa kanilang Czech counterparts upang maisaayos ang kanyang pagbabalik sa bansa.
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