Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo Lacson said he will present findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s flood control investigation through a privilege speech next week, as the panel’s report remains stalled due to a lack of signatures.
Lacson said the move will allow the Senate to surface a “progress report” on alleged flood control irregularities when session resumes, despite delays in securing enough support for the partial report.
He said only six senators have signed the report so far, short of the nine required for it to be formally filed and sponsored on the Senate floor.
“I will present it via a privilege speech entitled ‘The Chairman’s FCP Progress Report,’” Lacson said, adding that this would allow the findings to be discussed without further consultation with members who have yet to sign.
The senator said the lack of additional signatures has slowed the formal committee process, prompting him to take an alternative route to bring the findings to plenary.
Once delivered, Lacson said the report and its recommendations may be transmitted to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, as it will form part of the public record.
“I’ll be able to share the report and our recommendations with the Ombudsman since magiging public record na ‘yan after I present it,” he said, adding that it would be wasteful if the evidence gathered during the inquiry could not be used due to procedural delays.
Lacson said he hopes the approach will help move the investigation forward, even as disagreements within the committee continue to delay the formal submission of its report.