Ched Rick Gatchalian

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, May 1, 2025. Handout/Lacson media team

 

Article (news)

Lacson says reaccepting Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship may have consequences on current Senate Majority

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA &mdash; Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson thinks that taking the offer to once again head the Blue Ribbon Committee, which he already resigned from weeks ago over differences with colleagues, may cost Sen. Vicente Sotto III the Senate Presidency.&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;I have actually discussed this scenario with SP Sotto when he broached the idea of giving back the BRC chairmanship to me &mdash; that if I am elected again to head the committee, we should be ready for any and all consequences of my actions and decisions including losing some members of the majority bloc and consequently, his Senate Presidency,&quot; Lacon said.</p><p>He said if he does take his old post back, the Senate leadership will not be on his mind.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/lacson-says-resignation-as-senate-blue-ribbon-chair-is-final-1722">Lacson says resignation as Senate blue ribbon chair is &lsquo;final&rsquo;</a></div><p>&quot;In retrospect, a simple, practical question crossed my mind when I decided to resign last October 6: What BRC chairmanship are we talking about if we lose the majority to the current Cayetano-led minority bloc? &nbsp;Having said all that, if I decide to get back the BRC chairmanship, that question will no longer be a factor,&quot; he explained.</p><p>Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, however, called out Lacson for dragging the minority into the issue.</p><p>&quot;There&rsquo;s really no need for Senator Lacson to drag the minority into what&rsquo;s clearly a family matter within the majority. As he admits, his decision to step down from the Blue Ribbon Committee didn&rsquo;t come from the minority &mdash; it came from dissatisfaction within their own ranks. Let&rsquo;s not rewrite history,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;When Senate President Escudero and the majority first gave the chairmanship to Senator Marcoleta, the objective was clear &mdash; to keep the investigations steady, above politics and focused on finding the Masterminds and the Most Guilty. All this while untangling the web of systemic corruption in Government,&quot; Cayetano added.</p><p>&quot;During that time, the majority also faced a similar situation. We were warned of a Senate coup, first when Senator Marcoleta was elected as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, and Second when in leading the flood control hearings, the direction he took was towards what we all &nbsp;wanted - finding the Most Guilty and The Masterminds. And so the coup did happen, and a new &nbsp;SP was elected. But there was no drama, no intrigue, no blame-shifting from us &mdash; just quiet resolve. The leadership under SP Chiz made a decision, stood by it, and moved forward with respect for the institution. That&rsquo;s how professional and &nbsp;mature leadership behaves when tested.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/6/lacson-s-blue-ribbon-exit-a-sign-of-unstable-senate-says-drilon-1103">Lacson&#39;s Blue Ribbon exit a sign of &#39;unstable&#39; Senate, says Drilon</a>&nbsp;</div><p>Cayetano said the minority has &quot;no stake&quot; in the majority&#39;s internal difficulties.</p><p>Earlier, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said Lacson&#39;s accusation that almost all senators had budget insertions was &quot;the most immediate reason why there was dissatisfaction.&quot;</p><p>Among those who floated the idea of leaving the majority was Sen. JV Ejercito, who said he had thought of &quot;being independent.&quot;</p><p>The investigation has so far implicated three senators &mdash; Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva &mdash; and just one congressman: Resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, who chaired the House Appropriations Committee which prepares the national budget bill.</p><p>None have been formally accused and all have denied allegations of involvement in corruption in flood control projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2025/10/3/ejercito-says-he-and-4-others-considered-leaving-sotto-led-senate-majority-1330">Ejercito says he and 4 others considered leaving Sotto-led Senate majority</a></div>

<p>Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson thinks that taking the offer to once again head the Blue Ribbon Committee, which he already resigned from weeks ago over differences with colleagues, may cost Sen. Vicente Sotto III the Senate Presidency.</p>

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson thinks that taking the offer to once again head the Blue Ribbon Committee, which he already resigned from weeks ago over differences with colleagues, may cost Sen. Vicente Sotto III the Senate Presidency.

Lacson says reaccepting Blue Ribbon chairmanship may have consequences on Senate Majority

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Lacson says reaccepting Blue Ribbon chairmanship may have consequences on Senate Majority

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 20, 2025 06:47 PM PHT

Read More:

Ping Lacson

Alan Cayetano

Senate

Blue Ribbon Committee

Flood control projects

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