Blue Ribbon to send flood control evidence to Ombudsman, DoJ

THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will transmit evidence gathered through its flood control investigation to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DoJ), its chairman said on Wednesday.

Mr. Lacson said the evidence became a matter of public record after he shared pieces of evidence during Tuesday’s privilege speech.

“Moving forward, I ordered the preparation of a transmittal letter to the Office of the Ombudsman to give all pieces of evidence — documentary, testimonial, and transcripts. It is now a matter of public record as I cited them in my privilege speech,” he told reporters in mixed English and Filipino.

He also urged the other senators to sign the committee’s partial report to allow those facing allegations to defend themselves during the report’s sponsorship.

“If they signed, that’s their platform to defend themselves,” Mr. Lacson said in Filipino. “If we reach the interpellation and amendment, and if they have a reasonable defense, then their names would be removed.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Lacson presented the partial committee report using his privilege speech, declining to address interpellations after the presentation.

Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta, who has been mentioned by Mr. Lacson in his privilege speech, questioned the Blue Ribbon Committee chairman’s interpellation refusal, also arguing that he cannot sign a partial report because it is an “unfinished report.”

He argued that more individuals should have been called in for the committee hearing.

“It’s better to make it partial so we can get done with the part that’s already covered in the report, and then in the next phase, we can simply absolve or subsume that partial committee report into the main committee report,” Mr. Lacson explained. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel