Senator Erwin Tulfo has been designated as the acting chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, one of the country’s most powerful investigative bodies, following the resignation of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson earlier this week.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed the appointment during an ambush interview with reporters on Wednesday, shortly after an hour-long caucus with members of the majority bloc.
According to Sotto, several senators initially considered for the position—JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Pia Cayetano, Raffy Tulfo, and Kiko Pangilinan—all declined the offer to take the helm of the committee, prompting the majority to name Erwin Tulfo as acting chair to ensure continuity of ongoing investigations.
The Blue Ribbon panel, which recently made headlines for its probe into alleged corruption in flood control projects, has been at the center of mounting public scrutiny. Testimonies from contractors and former engineers previously revealed claims of massive kickbacks, “ghost projects,” and substandard construction, implicating lawmakers and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.
The inquiry, now under Tulfo’s leadership, follows weeks of political turbulence within the Senate. Lacson’s resignation as chair was described as final, leaving the position temporarily vacant while hearings on the multibillion-peso flood control mess remain suspended “until further notice.”
Tulfo’s appointment comes as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—created under Executive Order No. 94 and chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr.—conducts its own parallel investigation. The ICI, along with the Commission on Audit (COA) and Department of Justice (DOJ), is examining anomalies in flood control contracts nationwide, many of which have drawn public outrage for alleged overpricing and unfinished works.
