Lacson ‘tired of losing friends’ as blue ribbon panel chair

Sen. Panfilo Lacson —FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday that he “intentionally and voluntarily relinquished” the chairmanship of the Senate blue ribbon committee because he was tired of losing old friends and creating new enemies.

After acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian was officially elected as head of the chamber by the new 13-member majority with the defection of Sen. Joel Villanueva, Lacson nominated Sotto for Senate President Pro Tempore.

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He also explained why he was not interested in retaking the post of blue ribbon committee chair.

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“Number one, I am tired of losing old friends and creating new enemies. And number two, there are other colleagues who are equally, if not more qualified than this humble representation to take on the job,” Lacson said.

Willing, but . . .

“If there were no takers, I was willing, albeit, with a heavy heart to retain and continue sitting as chairman and resume a duty that I am morally obligated to perform,” he added.

READ: Tulfo: No authorized Senate blue ribbon panel hearing on June 16

The committee is currently headed by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, with Lacson and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan as vice chairs.

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With Lacson as chair in September last year, the committee investigated the flood control controversy with several government officials and lawmakers implicated in the scheme.

They included Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, who is now detained in a Quezon City jail for two counts of graft and one count of the nonbailable charge of plunder.

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All three were part of the bloc led by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano until Escudero and Villanueva joined the new 13-member majority bloc.

READ: Zaldy Co ‘ex-bagmen’ gather at venue for supposed blue ribbon hearing

Tulfo’s exposé

On June 13, Lacson thanked Tulfo for “speaking the truth” after the latter revealed in a television interview that some fellow senators had discouraged him from signing the partial committee report on the alleged flood control anomalies.

According to Lacson, Tulfo’s remarks confirmed what he had long believed was the reason the report failed to secure enough signatures to be sponsored on the Senate floor.

“Thank you Sen. Erwin for speaking the truth to confirm what I had thought all along was the real reason why the partial report was left to go stale and become spoiled,” Lacson said in a post on X.

The report must be signed by nine senators to be taken up in the plenary. So far, only seven senators have signed it.

In a radio interview, Tulfo said some senators called him out for signing the report as it implicated some of their fellow senators.

Tulfo, however, said, he signed it in his capacity as the committee’s vice chair.

Villanueva and Escudero, meanwhile, earned praises from Lacson for responding to the higher calling of the institution, particularly since the Senate is obliged to hold the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

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“Mr. President, I think I will be remiss of my duty and responsibility as a senator, colleague, and friend, if I didn’t thank and commend our two distinguished colleagues, Sen. Chiz Escudero and Sen. Joel Villanueva, for responding to their higher calling for this chamber, our beloved institution known as the Philippine Senate. Higher than their friendships, their affiliations, and every individual member of this body. Even higher than themselves,” Lacson said.