Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has stepped down as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee after facing criticisms from fellow senators over his handling of the inquiry into alleged irregularities in flood-control projects.
“Rightly or wrongly, when quite a number of them have expressed disappointment over how I’m handling the flood control project anomalies, I thought it’s time for me to step aside in favor of another member who they think can handle the committee better,” Lacson said on Sunday.
He explained that while he could ignore comments from “misinformed netizens and partisan sectors,” it was different when the concerns came from his peers. “Maybe it is best to vacate,” he said, citing feedback from Senators JV Ejercito and Win Gatchalian, among others.
In an interview with dzBB, Lacson shared that he plans to submit his formal resignation once the Senate resumes its session. He also refuted allegations that he had been selective in the probe, supposedly shielding some lawmakers while targeting others. He described such claims as “fake news and false narratives,” insisting that he had “handled the hearings well.”
Lacson said efforts to “disrupt the hearings” may have fueled the perception that the committee was not functioning properly. “In one instance, the hearing had barely started when someone tried to make a distraction,” he noted.
Despite his resignation, the senator vowed to persist in his anti-corruption advocacy. “Nevertheless, I will continue to fight a corrupt and rotten system in the misuse and abuse of public funds as I have consistently done in the course of my long years in public service,” he declared.
The committee’s next hearing on the flood-control project anomalies, originally slated for Wednesday, has been postponed “until further notice.” Lacson said this was due to key documents and affidavits not yet being finalized, including those linked to former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and other personalities implicated in the case.
