Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is preparing a “Chairman’s Progress Report” on its investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, in a bid to move stalled hearings forward and support parallel probes by state prosecutors.
In a radio interview, Lacson said the report will consolidate findings from multiple hearings and formally place evidence on record, noting that the panel has yet to issue an official committee report despite months of proceedings.
“Nakapag-draft na kami ng Chairman’s Progress Report. Ang partial report, hindi ko ma-report out dahil sa kakulangan ng signatures ng mga members… We owe it to the Filipino people. Ang Blue Ribbon nakaka-walong hearings na, wala man lang nailabas maski partial report,” he said.
He added that the document could also serve as a basis for transmitting evidence to investigative agencies.
“So yan ang isa sa aming pinag-aaralan… Kinukumpleto lang namin yung visual aid para kapag pinresent ko sa plenaryo ay maliwanag, kailangan may kaukulang resibo,” Lacson said.
Lacson said the committee is considering forwarding the report to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to help build possible cases related to the alleged anomalies.
He noted that the approach has precedent, citing past Senate inquiries where draft reports were later used by investigators.
“Yan ang precedent at nagamit ng Ombudsman iyon. So, di na bago ito,” he said.
Under the proposal, the Chairman’s Progress Report would contain partial findings along with supporting documents and evidence gathered during hearings.
Lacson said further hearings had been delayed due to the lack of required signatures from committee members. So far, only six senators have signed the partial report—Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Benigno Aquino IV, Erwin Tulfo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Lacson—leaving three more signatures needed.
Despite the delay, he expressed hope that more senators will sign so the report can be presented in plenary and debated.
He added that releasing the report could allow the committee to resume hearings while ensuring findings are made available to the public and law enforcement agencies.
“Kasi mahirap kung di ko ma-sponsor at walang lalabas na committee report. Nakabitin ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.
Lacson also said the Ombudsman has informally requested a copy of the committee’s partial findings, prompting discussions on whether the document can be transmitted even before plenary adoption.
“Pinag-aaralan namin ngayon kung uubra ba na ipadala namin… ang Chairman’s Progress Report,” he said.
On the probe, Lacson said the committee is open to inviting former Speaker Martin Romualdez again, particularly following recent public statements linking several individuals, including Senate officials, to the controversy.
Romualdez had previously been invited twice but did not attend the hearings.
Lacson said the committee also sees value in bringing together key figures—such as former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and former military personnel who testified earlier—so they can be questioned in the same forum.
“We can ask them questions and gauge who is telling the truth and who is lying,” he said.
He added that whether evidence could implicate higher officials, including the President, will depend on where the investigation leads, noting that some allegations raised publicly have yet to be made under oath.