Blue ribbon: Pia has plans, but Erwin has say
The Senate blue ribbon committee is resuming its inquiry into the flood control scandal on Monday next week, instead of today, following yet another leadership shake-up that saw a revamp of key committee chairmanships on Wednesday.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo made the announcement on Wednesday after he was elected new chair of the blue ribbon committee, even as he indicated that the list of resource persons invited by his predecessor, Sen. Pia Cayetano, wasn’t final.
“We are just moving the schedule from tomorrow to prepare all members,” Tulfo told reporters.
“With regard to the invited resource persons, I do not agree, we have to review these people. Are they really saying anything? Will they really disclose something? We have to review these,” he added.
Cayetano on Tuesday sent invitations to former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, 18 supposed Marine soldiers and their lawyer Levito Baligod, among others, to attend the hearing this Thursday to shed light on allegations of payoffs in the corruption scandal.
The scandal had implicated senators, district representatives, public works officials and private contractors in a scheme to siphon off millions of pesos from substandard and nonexistent flood control projects.
The 18 Marine “personnel” claimed in February that they acted as “bagmen” of resigned lawmaker and fugitive Elizaldy Co, delivering cash-filled luggage from the former Ako Bicol representative to certain officials.
Baligod alleged that his clients delivered cash to the residences of President Marcos and Romualdez. Malacañang had dismissed his allegations as part of a “lousy script.” Romualdez has repeatedly denied his alleged involvement in the mess.
The Philippine Navy disputed their claim that they were former Marines, saying “majority” of them were dishonorably discharged while four had never served in the naval infantry.
‘Bastard’
Tulfo’s brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, had earlier questioned the legitimacy of the Cayetano-led blue ribbon committee, saying its ranks fell short of the 17 members required by the Senate rules to conduct hearings.
“We have no problem if the panel wants to resume hearing. But for me, pardon my word, the blue ribbon committee they created was a bastard because it was born out of illegitimacy,” Tulfo said.
On Wednesday, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed in a Facebook livestream that there was a deliberate attempt to delay the committee hearing set by his sister, Pia Cayetano. He added that they will push through with it today.
Wrangling
On that same day, Sen. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian was elected acting Senate President and Senate president pro tempore, breaking the impasse in the chamber caused by the two-day “boycott” of the sessions by the majority bloc led by Alan Peter.
The chamber had been wracked by wrangling since Alan Peter was installed Senate President in a May 11 coup that ousted Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
His first few days in office saw the Senate shield Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over his alleged role in the drug war, witness a shooting incident involving Senate security personnel and National Bureau of Investigation agents, and deal with Dela Rosa’s “escape” from the Senate building.
Following the May 11 coup, Pia took over as chair of the blue ribbon committee from Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who drafted a partial report of its findings, but could not sponsor it in plenary because only seven out of nine senators had signed it.
Lacson had recommended preliminary investigation for criminal prosecution of several lawmakers.
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