Tag: DZBB

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Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan, South Forbes Property May Be Focus of Next Blue Ribbon Hearing

Unresolved issues involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, as well as the acquisition of a house and lot at 30 Tamarind Road in South Forbes in Makati City in 2023 where contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II was involved, may be the focus of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s next hearing on the flood control mess, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson said Bonoan still has much to explain, including a seeming “pattern” of wrong grid coordinates for flood control projects in the report Bonoan submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We can focus the next hearing on Bonoan to tackle other issues he can clarify. He is in the country so he can address the issues involving him,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan, South Forbes Property Maaaring Maging Sentro ng Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing

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Lacson on Flood Control ‘Minority Report’: Respect Begets Respect

“How will I respect a document that symbolizes disrespect towards the Blue Ribbon Committee and the entire Senate?”

Senate President Pro Tempore and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson thus scored the so-called “minority report” on the flood control scandal, as he stressed that there is only one Blue Ribbon Committee that is investigating the issue.

Lacson said that under the Rules of the Senate, a committee report can be reported out only by the Blue Ribbon Committee, and after it is signed by majority of the committee’s members – not by just six of nine members of the minority bloc.

“Respect begets respect. How will I as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee treat with respect a document that symbolizes disrespect toward the Blue Ribbon Committee and the entire Senate both of which they are members?” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM.

“So there is no other place for that ‘minority report’ but the trash bin,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson sa Flood Control ‘Minority Report’: Respect Begets Respect

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Lacson Outlines Consequences of Recantation, Scores Attempts to Discredit Proceedings

A double whammy may await former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials if they recant their sworn statements related to the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson, who set the next hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the matter on Jan. 19, said they will not only face sanctions for perjury, but their recantation will fail to weaken the cases being built against those involved.

“If they will recant, they may be liable for violating the law on perjury, Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by RA 11594, which raises the penalty for perjury to up to 12 years. This is aside from a penalty of P1 million and perpetual absolute disqualification if the offender is a government official,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio, amid reports indicating the officials may recant.

In Filipino: Lacson, Inilahad ang mga Posibleng Parusa sa Pag-uurong ng Salaysay, Tinuligsa ang mga Pagsisikap na Sirain ang Proseso

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Lacson Flags P2.5B ‘Allocables’ Tied to Imee in 2025 NEP; Questions Silence in Bicam

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this on Sunday as he flagged P2.5 billion in allocables tied to Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), as well as her silence on supposed “giniling” or “pork” when the 2026 budget bill was being tackled at the bicameral conference level.

Lacson said these are based on documents he received from the camp of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.

“Marcos had allocables worth P2.5 billion in the NEP according to the Cabral files. Most allocables were moved from the NEP to the 2025 GAA via insertions in the bicam where Sen. Marcos had at least the same amount based on DPWH records… While part of the insertions were flagged for later release, part of her FLR allocables had been released,” he said in English and Filipino, in an interview on DZBB radio.

“She makes a lot of noise criticizing the 2026 budget for having ‘pork’ but she had ‘pork’ in the budget, at least in the 2025 GAA. So she has no moral ascendancy to criticize. In the first place, she was a member of the Senate contingent in the bicameral conference committee. Why didn’t she raise the issue that there was pork? We heard nothing from her then, when she was in the bicam,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Sinita ang P2.5B ‘Allocables’ ni Imee sa 2025 NEP; Kinuwestiyon ang Katahimikan sa Bicam

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Lacson: Budget Transparency Efforts Must Continue Despite ‘Birth Pains’

Despite “birth pains” in the form of stalemates in the bicameral conference committee meetings on the 2026 budget bill, lawmakers must press on with their efforts to ensure transparency, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson also stressed that Filipinos – and not just lawmakers – must make sure the bitter lessons from the anomalous flood control project scandal are not repeated if the country is to recover and move forward.

“Unprecedented ito. Pinaguusapan nga namin kahapon. Sabi ko kay Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, alam mo itong nangyaring deadlock at usaping ganyan, birth pains ito kasi di pa nangyari ang ganito ka-transparent especially ang bicam. Kasi alam natin ang kalakaran noong nakaraan. So birth pains ito (What we experienced has been unprecedented. We talked about this Tuesday and I told Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian that the deadlocks are part of the birth pains because we haven’t been this transparent especially in the bicam. And we know what took place in past years. So this is part of birth pains),” he said in an interview on DZRH radio.

“Ito ang pagkakataon para ireporma natin ang budgeting system natin. Kung di pa tayo uusad after itong napakasakit na experience sa flood control project scandal, wala na talaga tayong pagasa (This is our chance to reform our budgeting system. If we cannot learn from the painful experience from the flood control project scandal, then we are hopeless),” he added, in a separate interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Transparency sa Badyet, Dapat Ipagpatuloy sa Kabila ng ‘Birth Pains’

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