Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson admitted on Sunday, February 8 that the draft partial committee report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects is still a work in progress.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, resumed its probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects on Monday, January 19, 2026, in Pasay City. The hearing featured agenda items dubbed “Flooded Gates of Corruption,” “Flooded Gates of Hell,” and “The Philippines Under Water.” It marked the committee’s first hearing of the year, with five new witnesses presenting testimony, including three who appeared with their identities concealed. (Mark Balmores)

That is why on Monday, February 9, the members of the majority bloc will hold another meeting to discuss the concerns of some of their members on the draft committee report.

“We will hold another meeting tomorrow Monday to clarify the concerns of some of the members of the majority. During our caucus last Wednesday, they raised concerns which I also considered, that’s why revising the draft partial committee report is still a work in progress,” Lacson said in a Radio DZBB interview.

But Lacson rejected the possibility that the contents of the draft committee report, which recommends plunder and malversation charges against Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, as well as former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. will be subject to change.

“(The version may change) but not in substance. What we discussed during the Wednesday meeting was about the use of appropriate language in some of the paragraphs which they said can still be improved,” he said.

Last week, Lacson confirmed that the draft likewise implicated fugitive and former lawmaker Zaldy Co and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan and several others based on the testimonies from former public works engineers.

The document needs 11 signatures before it is submitted for plenary discussion. At least one member of the Senate minority bloc, particularly the minority leader, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, should be able to sign the report.

“If he will not sign, we will discuss then how to deal with a committee report that has no signature of the minority (leader). We have to look at our rules further to see the implication of having 11 signatures but all coming from the majority (bloc),” he pointed out.

“It’s not a matter of being confident or not of getting the signatures. The fact is we need 11, if we can’t gather 11 signatures, so be it. There’s no committee report,” Lacson said.

After all, Lacson said all they have is a partial committee report and the Blue Ribbon Committee, which he chairs, will still hold another one to two more hearings before drafting the final and complete version of the committee report.

According to Lacson, the partial and unofficial report do not include the 7th hearing of the blue ribbon panel.

“And if that (final committee report) can’t still muster 11 signatures, it will be referred to the Bills and Index,” he said.

Moreover, Lacson said he is open to submitting the committee report to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a “Chairman’s Report,” in the event it failed to gather enough signatures.

“If they request for it, why not? Anyway, our hearing is a public hearing. And even back then, they have been requesting us for some documents during the course of our investigation,” he pointed out.

“The material evidences on the flood control anomalies came from us…And that is why cases have been filed against some individuals is because of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings,” he stressed.

Nevertheless, Lacson said he hopes that members of the majority bloc would be able ot resolve all the concerns on the report during Monday’s meeting.

“And if possible, we can gather the signatures so we can move on,” he said.