MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday dismissed the insinuation of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta that he was meddling in the latter’s work in leading the Senate investigation on the alleged ghost or substandard flood control projects.
Lacson said that he was not picking a fight.
Marcoleta chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which is probing questionable flood control projects.
Lacson said that Marcoleta in his TV program, insinuated that he sought to adjust the schedule of the hearing because he did not want him to chair the hearing. Marcoleta criticized Lacson for asking to reschedule the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing scheduled for Sept. 1, because the Senate finance committee was to hold a hearing on the 2026 budget on the same date.
“He was criticizing some of us – myself, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, along with Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III for proposing the creation of an independent body to investigate flood control anomalies in what he claims to be an attempt to undermine the mandate of the Blue Ribbon Committee which he chairs,” Lacson said.
“To set the record straight, no one is interfering in his work. We all want to have good governance,” the senator said in Filipino in a radio interview.
The blue ribbon committee is scheduled to hold its hearing on the flood control project mess at 9 a.m., while the Finance Committee will hold its hearing at 10 a.m., with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 National Expenditure Program.
Marcoleta questioned the need to reschedule the hearing, adding it seems that “they don’t want me to chair the hearing.”
Lacson clarified that his motion was not directed only at Marcoleta.
“I was not asking him to reschedule his hearing. I merely asked either hearings to be held on another date, because they are both important. I am not belittling his committee’s hearing, and I recognize his mandate as chairman,” Lacson said.
“I merely wanted to correct any misimpressions Sen. Marcoleta’s words may have created. I don’t want a fight but I won’t back down from one,” he added.
