Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairperson Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday clashed over whether or not members of the House of Representatives are allowed to be invited to the flood control hearings. Marcoleta inquired if Lacson had made an announcement that Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who owned and divested from his contracting firm Sunwest, was not invited in today’s hearing despite being tagged in billions of flood control insertions. Lacson said that House members cannot be invited to a Senate hearing due to the “inter-parliamentary courtesy.”“As you know, you have been a congressman for many years. There’s what we call interparliamentary courtesy. We do not invite or summon members of Congress, in the same manner that they don’t invite senators to their hearings,” said Lacson.“It is up to the senators or congressmen concerned to appear before their inquiries in aid of legislation. It is a tradition,” he added. Marcoleta said Navotas Lone District Rep. Toby Tiangco appeared in the past hearing, upon his invitation when he was still the Blue Ribbon Committee chair. Lacson said, “Well you can speak for yourself.”“He can be invited. There is no violation of inter-parliamentary [courtesy],” said Marcoleta.Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry Alcantara said in the last hearing that Co proposed <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/henry-alcantara-tags-revilla-estrada-villanueva-co-in-budget-insertions-kickbacks-1041">P35 billion</a> budget insertions for flood control projects in a span of four years. Co <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/23/zaldy-co-says-p35-b-insertion-kickback-allegations-against-him-false-baseless-1710">denied </a>the allegations.House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/speaker-revokes-zaldy-co-s-travel-clearance-orders-his-immediate-return-1449">revoked </a>Co&#x27;s travel clearance and ordered him to return to the Philippines within ten days after receipt of notice.Co was previously reported to be <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/4/rep-zaldy-co-in-us-house-spox-1345">staying </a>in the United States to seek medical treatment.<div>RELATED VIDEO:  </div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKNVP-gcn78?si=tTEpAnaqL8g2t266" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has revoked the travel clearance of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairperson Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday clashed over whether or not members of the House of Representatives are allowed to be invited to the flood control hearings.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairperson Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday clashed over whether or not members of the House of Representatives are allowed to be invited to the flood control hearings.

Lacson, Marcoleta clash over inviting Zaldy Co in Senate flood control hearing

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Lacson, Marcoleta clash over inviting Zaldy Co in Senate flood control hearing

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2025 09:55 AM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

corruption

flood control

baha

Senate

Senate Blue Ribbon

Marcoleta

Lacson

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