The signing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the flood control mess should be guided by a sense of duty and not “pakikisama” or peer pressure, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson emphasized Saturday.
Lacson said senators must be swayed not by political affiliations or bloc lines but by their responsibilities as members of the Blue Ribbon committee when deciding whether to sign the partial report.
“For me, it doesn’t matter if you are in the majority or minority bloc, so long as you follow what is right. Otherwise, you will be blind if you claim that you won’t sign something from the majority because you are from the minority,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio.
“If you are a senator, you must have your own convictions, not follow the convictions of your colleagues,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Tungkulin, Hindi Pakikisama, ang Gabay sa Paglagda sa BRC Partial Flood Control Report
He recalled that when Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, a member of the minority bloc, asked him to support a resolution acknowledging the authority of local courts, he signed the resolution because he believed it was “the right thing to do.”
The Blue Ribbon panel’s partial report needs three more signatures before it can be reported out and sponsored in plenary. Lacson said its sponsorship is required before hearings on the flood control issue can resume.
At Saturday’s interview, Lacson said it is possible that some members from the minority could have individually spoken to some majority senators to not sign the partial report.
“I felt some disappointment but I also understand their situation. We are human, and there is a human element in such instances,” he said when asked if he felt disappointment.
But now, he said some senators may be convinced to sign the report because of the recent capture of ex-Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, and Lacson’s plan to invite him to the next committee hearing – once the partial report is filed and sponsored in plenary.
“There is now a new factor – Zaldy Co was captured, and some senators want to know the truth. I believe some will make up their minds to sign because there is now the pressure of whether they want the truth to come out,” he added.
Lacson reiterated he plans to invite Co and have him confront former soldiers including Orly Guteza – as well as former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
Also, Lacson said Co may face difficulties if he wants to become a state witness, as he may not be the least guilty since he has been tagged as the architect of the flood control scandal.
“If he will be accepted as a state witness, many may be implicated. But the situation must be studied carefully because he has been tagged as the architect of the scandal – and one qualification of being a state witness is that one must not be the most guilty,” he said.
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Lacson: Tungkulin, Hindi Pakikisama, ang Gabay sa Paglagda sa BRC Partial Flood Control Report
Tungkulin o sense of duty, at hindi “pakikisama” o peer pressure, ang dapat na gabay sa paglagda sa partial report ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa flood control scandal, diin ni Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ngayong Sabado.
Ayon kay Lacson, hindi dapat maimpluwensiyahan ng political affiliations o bloc lines ang mga senador sa pagpapasya kung lalagda sa partial committee report.
“Sa akin, balewala ang majority ka o minority, basta tama eh, sa paniniwala ko tama. Kasi blind ka na pagka dahil minority ako hindi ako pipirma sa majority,” aniya sa panayam sa DWIZ radio.
“Dapat pag senador ka meron kang sariling paninindigan. Di ang paninindigan ng taong kasama mo,” dagdag niya.
Naalala ni Lacson na nang hilingin ni Sen. Christopher Lawrence Bong Go, na kabilang sa minority bloc, ang kanyang suporta sa isang resolusyon na kumikilala sa awtoridad ng mga lokal na hukuman, nilagdaan niya ito dahil naniniwala siyang ito ang tama.
Kailangan pa ng tatlong lagda ang partial report ng Blue Ribbon panel bago ito maiulat at maisalang sa plenaryo. Ayon kay Lacson, kinakailangan ang sponsorship niya rito bago maipagpatuloy ang mga pagdinig hinggil sa isyu ng flood control.
Sa panayam nitong Sabado, sinabi ni Lacson na posibleng may ilang miyembro ng minority na personal na nakipag-usap sa ilang senador mula sa majority upang huwag lagdaan ang partial report.
“May disappointment pero mas nananaig ang naintindihan ko ang situation nila. Tao lang tayo. Laging may human factor or human element na mag-set in, di natin maiwasan yan,” aniya nang tanungin kung siya ay nakaramdam ng pagkadismaya.
Gayunman, sinabi niyang may posibilidad na mahikayat ang ilang senador na lumagda sa partial report dahil sa kamakailang pagkakahuli sa dating kongresista na si Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, at sa plano niyang imbitahan ito sa susunod na pagdinig ng komite—sa sandaling maihain at ma-sponsor ang partial report sa plenaryo.
“Pero ngayon may bagong factor, si Zaldy Co nahuli at gusto nilang malaman ang katotohanan. Palagay ko bakasakaling magkakaroon ng pagbabago ng isip dahil maski papano may mabigat sa balikat na gusto ba nating lumabas ang katotohanan,” dagdag niya.
Inulit ni Lacson ang plano niyang imbitahan si Co at ipaharap ito sa mga dating sundalo, kabilang si Orly Guteza, pati na rin kay dating Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na maaaring mahirapan si Co kung nais nitong maging state witness, dahil maaaring hindi ito maituring na “least guilty,” lalo na’t tinutukoy itong arkitekto ng flood control scandal.
“Kung tatanggapin siyang state witness, talagang sasabog, maraming madadamay. Pero pagaralang mabuti kasi kung ia-assess natin, ia-analyze natin ang kanyang participation maraming naniniwala siya ang architect ng insertions, bilyon bilyon… (At ang) isang qualification niyan (pagiging state witness), not the most guilty. Nandiyan na sina Bernardo, tinuro siya ni Alcantara. Tingnan natin how it will play out pagdating niya,” aniya.
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