There is now a 100 percent chance that Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will return as chairperson of the powerful Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

In a Viber message on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III answered "yes" when asked if there's a 100 percent chance that Lacson would regain chairmanship of the panel.

In an interview on One PH, Sotto said that he felt Lacson still has unfinished business in the committee.

"We’ll probably do it in a caucus, but by Nov. 10 we can make it official," he said.

"Before that nag-uusapan na rin namin yan sapagkat nararamdaman ko rin na may unfinished business doon. Yung clamor ng ibang mga kasamahan namin at ng publiko na naririnig ko. Apparently, nakakarating sa kanya (Before that, we had already been talking about it because I could also feel that there was some unfinished business there. The clamor from some of our colleagues and from the public that I’ve been hearing apparently reached him)," he said.

Sotto said that Lacson looked back and analyzed the hearing probably reviewed what still needed to be addressed, adding that his strategy was really to be guided by the evidence and the testimonies.

He also said that when Lacson analyzed and heard what their colleagues and the public were saying, he reconsidered that it needed to continue — that there were still many things left unexamined. And if this would help, he probably thought it would be more beneficial to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the Ombudsman, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

When the position was offered to their other colleagues, Sotto said that most were half-hearted since they were busy with their committees.

Lacson earlier said that his return in the panel could come with serious political repercussions, including turning away members of the majority bloc and, thereby, threatening the current Senate leadership.

But Sotto said that he has disregarded fear a long time ago, and he's prepared to work in the Senate, regardless of the position.

"Tingin ko naka back-up ang karamihan sa senado at nakaback-up din samin ang publiko. Ako matagal nang takot, kaya yung takot matagal ko nang binalewala yan. Basta ako kahit anong pwesto ibigay sa akin sa Senado magtatrabaho ako. Whether maging Blue Ribbon chairman si Sen Lacson o ako hindi na Senate President, pareho rin ang gagawin naming trabaho. Makakaasa po sila (I think most of the Senate is in support, and the public is backing us as well. I’ve been afraid for a long time, but I’ve long learned to set that fear aside. As for me, whatever position is given to me in the Senate, I will continue to work. Whether Senator Lacson becomes the Blue Ribbon chairman or I’m no longer the Senate President, we’ll still do the same work. They can count on us)," he said.