At least two more senators have signed the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Thursday, April 16.

Lacson said that as of Wednesday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and blue ribbon vice chairman Sen. Erwin Tulfo have also signed the partial report.

At least two other senators have also hinted they would do the same, said Lacson, head of the Senate blue ribbon panel.

“As of yesterday, two other colleagues also signed - Senate President Sotto as ex-officio and Sen. Erwin Tulfo, BRC Vice Chairman. At least two others have indicated their willingness to sign,” Lacson said.

“One of the reasons why the other majority members have not signed or at least reluctant to do so is that they were being 'requested' by some of their former majority bloc colleagues,” he added.

Senators Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros have previously signed the report.

According to Lacson, he would not plead with fellow Blue Ribbon members to sign the partial report out of respect for their individual decisions, but noted that the Senate leader offered to help.

“I told SP Sotto earlier that I won’t plead with our fellow BRC members to affix their signatures on the partial committee report because I respect their individual decisions, whatever reasons they have in refusing to sign,” Lacson said.

“Hence, SP (Senate President) Sotto promised to help in that regard,” he said.

With six signatures, the partial report needs at least three more for it to be filed and reported out on the Senate floor for it to debated upon, amended and adopted.

Earlier, Lacson said he suspended further hearings of the committee on the flood control mess until he reports out and sponsors the partial committee report in plenary.

The senator said continuing hearings without reaching a logical conclusion in the form of a committee report would be futile and contrary to Senate rules.