Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday presented key evidence and policy recommendations drawn from at least seven hearings to finally curb the “systematic and parasitic” greed behind anomalous flood control projects – which he described as the largest corruption scandal in Philippine history.
Lacson also said he does not aim to indict or hand down a final judgment, but to establish a standard to assist authorities who shall evaluate the findings, determine probable cause, and take the necessary legal actions.
“The road to full accountability is long. But we must start to agree somewhere. This Chairman’s Report is a decisive step forward. We owe it to the witnesses who spoke up, to the experts who provided evidence, and most importantly, to the millions of Filipinos who find themselves neck-deep in floodwaters every time a storm hits. We cannot let their efforts—and ours—go to waste,” he said.
“Mr. President, this report is a referral-and-reform package. Simple lang: imbestigahan nang legal, alamin kung ano ang nangyari, bawiin ang kaya pang bawiin, at ayusin ang batas—para hindi doble bayad ang Pilipino: sa buwis at sa delubyo ng baha (Investigate and find out what happened, and recover what can be recovered. Also fix the laws so Filipinos won’t pay twice – with taxes and with their lives because of the floods),” he added. “Kung mali ang alegasyon (If the allegations are wrong), the process clears them. Kung totoo (If they are true), the process convicts — with due process and accountability – makukulong ang dapat makulong (those who deserve to be jailed should be jailed).”
In Filipino: Lacson Inilatag ang Ebidensiya, mga Rekomendasyon laban sa ‘Systemic, Parasitic’ na Kasakiman sa Anomalya sa Flood Control
