Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday, August 31 moved to set the record straight on fellow Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s insinuation that he is meddling in his work as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in looking into the flood control mess.

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (Senate PRIB photo)

Lacson was referring to Marcoleta's claim in his television program where he insinuated that Lacson sought to adjust the schedule of the hearing because he did not want him to chair the hearing.

In his TV program, the senator said Marcoleta was criticizing him and other senators—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 panel which he chairs, and Sen. Erwin Tulfo, to name a few.

“Ayoko ng away. Pero kung aawayin niya kami, aawayin ko rin siya (I don’t want a fight. But if he will fight us, I will fight him back)!” Lacson warned in an interview over Radio DZBB.

Lacson, who has been exposing irregularities in government since his first term as senator, said he just wants to set the record straight that no one is interfering in the neophyte senator’s work, as all senators want is to pursue good governance.

“Sabi niya pinanghihimasukan namin siya. Walang nanghihimasok dito. Gusto ko lang i-correct ang misimpression na kine-create ni Sen. Marcoleta (He said we’re interfering. No one is interfering here. I just want to correct the misimpression Sen. Marcoleta is creating),” he stressed.

Last August 29, Marcoleta criticized Lacson in his television program for asking to reschedule the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing scheduled for Sept. 1, because it coincides with the Senate finance committee’s hearing on the proposed 2026 national budget.

The Blue Ribbon Committee is scheduled to hold its next 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.

In his program, Marcoleta questioned the need to reschedule the hearing, adding it seems that “talagang ayaw nila na makapagsisimula ako ng pagdinig (they don't want me to chair the hearing).”

Lacson said his motion was not directed only at Marcoleta, as he pointed out that both scheduled hearings are very important.

“I was not asking for him to reschedule his hearing. I merely asked either hearing 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,” the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief 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 in Filipino.

According to Lacson, he plans to attend the finance committee hearing at 10 a.m., but may attend the first part of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing if it starts on time at 9 a.m.

For the DBCC briefing, Lacson said he plans to ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) why its 2025 budget surpassed that of the education sector, in violation of the 1987 Constitution that decrees the education sector is to have the highest priority in the national budget.

Lacson said he also wants to seek the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) explanation on the government’s borrowins and disbursements , and how the DBM will implement Executive Order 82 strengthening the Regional Development Councils, when traditionally only 20% of the output of local development councils is adopted in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) when the local government units (LGUs) know the needs and priorities of their localities.

Lacson also said he wants to ask the DBM over its efforts to promote transparency and educate the public on how their taxes are spent, as well as seek an explanation on the government's policy on unprogrammed appropriations, which were tapped by lawmakers in inserting P1.1 billion into the flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro.

Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, vice chairman of the blue ribbon panel, expressed his support for the creation of an independent investigative body to look into the alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

“I think that that is the right thing to do—an independent group composed of the church, academe, youth representatives, retired justices, and other sectors that should be part of it,” Tulfo said in an interview.

“The doubts of our people will never go away if Congress and the Senate handle the investigation, since some lawmakers themselves are being linked to this anomaly,” he said.

Tulfo also pointed out the possible challenge of summoning fellow legislators to the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, as they could invoke “inter-parliamentary courtesy.”

If not an independent investigate body, Tulfo surmised that only contractors and DPWH officials would likely appear and be grilled during congressional hearings.

The neophyte senator also earlier proposed real-time independent third-party inspections of government projects, particularly suspected substandard and “ghost” projects, when he interpellated Lacson on his privilege speech regarding ghost flood control projects.

“I support the creation of an independent investigative body for anomalies in flood control projects because this is one way we can achieve honest-to-goodness results,” Tulfo said.

“What the Senate must do is to conduct an investigation to find out why the collusion happened, how the stealing was carried out, and what the government must do—especially in terms of policy—to ensure that this does not happen again,” he stressed.