Senators will soon have to make a choice on which report of two Senate committees on the alleged widespread corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) they would sign.

Will it be the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) chaired by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on recent alleged irregularities at PhilHealth triggered by the agency’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM)?

Or will it be the report of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee (BRC) chaired by Senator Richard J, Gordon on its probe that started last year but its submission to its committee members was stalled by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic?

While the Gordon report is now being routed for signatures among its members following Gordon’s revelation of its contents yesterday, the COW report might be released for signatures among the senators-members probably on Tuesday, according to Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, COW vice chairman.

Lacson said the Senate would be put in an awkward situation if the COW report clashes with the Gordon committee report.

“Di ako pwede pumirma pareho sa two committee reports na nagbabanggaan. I have to make a choice,’’ Lacson pointed out when asked about the timing of the Gordon report. (I will not sign the two committee reports if they contradict each other.)

‘’Kung magka-kontra ang dalawang committee reports, I cannot see how a senator would sign both. Alam nyo ang gusto kong sabihin. Kung di sila nag-clash directly, pwedeng parehong committee report papirmahin namin. Pero kung directly in contrast ang findings nagka-clash, ako mismo mahirapan magpirma sa isa,’’ he added. (I don’t see how a senator would sign both committee reports if their recommendations are contrary to each other. We will sign if the two reports do not clash directly. But if their findings contradict each other, I myself may have difficulty signing one.)

Gordon said today that he is recommending the filing of graft charges against former Department of Health and now Iloilo congresswoman Janette Garin, ex-officio Philhealth Board chairman, and other PhilHealth officials for alleged misdeeds at the agency based on the results of its inquiry a year ago.

The COW only started its public hearings four weeks ago.

‘’Narito ang COW, iba ang angulo at theory, taliwas di lang medyo tangential na directly clashing with the Senate BRC. So di ba napaka-awkward ng situation?’’ he asked. (This is the COW that has a different angle and theory which is not only slightly but tangentially clashing directly with the BRC findings. Will it not put the two committees in an awkward situation?)

‘’Bits and pieces,’’ was Lacson reply to a query whether he is surprised at the content of the Blue Ribbon committee report revealed in yesterday’s press conference by Gordon.

He said that he has not seen the Gordon committee report and it is not being routed for signature by other senators.

Committee reports are subject to debate on the Senate floor before any decision to adopt it or not is made.