Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Panfilo Lacson faced off during the plenary session Tuesday after Marcoleta called out Lacson for not issuing a report on the flood control scandal 7 months after the Senate began its probe. </p><p>Lacson gave his own privileged speech Tuesday to respond point by point, and said more.</p><p>&quot;[T]he people have waited long enough. It has been seven months since the first Blue Ribbon Hearing. Yet the said partial report does not bear the signature of the Chairman — a formality ordinarily expected of any report issued by a committee, particularly from the Blue Ribbon Committee,&quot; Marcoleta said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/9/marcoleta-blasts-lacson-anew-over-delayed-flood-control-report-2120">Marcoleta blasts Lacson anew over &#x27;delayed&#x27; flood control report</a></div><p>Lacson however said it was Marcoleta who has not acted on the report, as he explained soft copies were sent to all members so they can study it first.</p><p>&quot;Common sense naman po, Mr. President – na binigyan ng soft copy ang bawat miyembro upang madaling mabasa at mapag-aralan ng lahat ang lahat ng nilalaman nito simultaneously,&quot; he said. </p><p>Lacson said, &#x27;Kahit &#x27;I dissent&#x27; remark ay wala siyang ginawa. Bakit ngayon ay maghahanap siya ng Blue Ribbon Committee report na nakatengga sa kanyang opisina ng isang buwan pa?&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/2/sc-urged-direct-senate-to-release-blue-ribbon-report-on-flood-control-mess-1152">SC urged: Direct Senate to release Blue Ribbon report tagging senators in flood control mess</a></div><p>Marcoleta also found Lacson&#x27;s statements on the lack of evidence against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez troubling, along with Lacson&#x27;s critique of witnesses against the former House Leader.</p><p>Lacson however said he made recommendations against Romualdez.</p><p>&quot;Sa kanyang mga akusasyon sa representasyong ito kaugnay ni Cong. Martin Romualdez, kung binasa lamang po ni Senator Marcoleta ang partial committee report, makikita po niya na nakapaloob na doon ang lahat ng nais niyang ipahayag — kung hindi man higit pa: rekomendasyon para sa fact-finding investigation, AMLC bank inquiry, and filing of freeze order petitions at forfeiture,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>Marcoleta also flagged Lacson&#x27;s handling on the matter of investigating Cabinet members who were linked to the so-called allocables in the budget.</p><p>Marcoleta also did not allow Lacson&#x27;s critique of the former military men who claimed to have delivered cash to slide.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/10/lacson-no-substantive-revision-in-blue-ribbon-report-despite-change-in-language-1349">Lacson: No &#x27;substantive&#x27; revision in blue ribbon report despite change in &#x27;language&#x27;</a></div><p>Lacson said the probe is not over yet.</p><p>&quot;As to the other witnesses allegedly not invited by the committee, it bears stressing that the committee has not terminated its hearings, contrary to the suggestion in the so-called Minority Report,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>&quot;Members may suggest witnesses or move for their invitation during a hearing, and if such motion is approved by the members of the Committee, the same will, of course, be respected by the chair,&quot; he added.</p><p>Marcoleta and Lacson also disagreed on whether Zaldy Co can validly testify overseas.</p><p>&quot;All he has to do is for his sworn statement to be apostilled in that foreign country and it will have the same effect as a statement sworn before a Philippine Consulate,&quot; Marcoleta said.</p><p>&quot;Ang isang apostilled affidavit ay hindi kailanman maaaring maging alternatibo sa personal appearance. Hindi nito mapapalitan ang direct testimony, at lalong hindi nito mapapalitan ang tungkulin ng isang saksi na harapin ang Komite, sagutin ang mga katanungan, at sumailalim sa masusing pagsusuri,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>Marcoleta also flagged Lacson for the latter&#x27;s critique of the so-called minority report.</p><p>&quot;The BRC Chairman was even blunt when he said that the place for the minority Report is the trash bin — sa basurahan,&quot; Marcoleta said.</p><p>&quot;Siya na nga itong gawa nang gawa ng mga bagay na wala naman sa alituntunin ng Senado, pagkatapos ako ang pagbibintangan niya na ‘epal’?&quot; Lacson said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/6/sotto-opposes-dropping-escudero-villanueva-estrada-from-draft-blue-ribbon-report-1623">Sotto opposes dropping Escudero, Villanueva, Estrada from draft Blue Ribbon report</a></div><p>Lacson, who had enough of what Marcoleta said about him since last year, brought up Marcoleta&#x27;s recent statements on the Kalayaan Island Group and the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte last year.</p><p>&quot;Ewan ko, Mr. President  — simula nang nasopla ko si Senator Marcoleta sa floor ay tila nagtanim na siya ng poot sa kanyang dibdib.&quot; </p><p>Lacson said, &quot;On many occasions, Senator Marcoleta made statements that undermined the authority and collective integrity of the Committee. Mukhang aabutin tayo hanggang bukas kung iisa-isahin ko pa lahat ng katakot-takot na pang-aalipusta ni Senator Marcoleta sa komite na kinabibilangan din naman niya.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Now Senator Marcoleta speaks of a ‘pattern’ that he himself built in his head to discredit this representation. But if we backtrack the events that transpired in the past several months, one thing is crystal clear: when cornered by the fault of his own doing, he employs a diversionary maneuver, pathetically stretching the conversation, no matter how illogical, until people get drained and tired,&quot; he added.</p><p>After Lacson&#x27;s speech, Marcoleta rose to interpellate, but not before flagging the majority for allowing Lacson to speak at the start of the session, while other senators have had to wait till the tail end of past sessions for their own speeches.</p><p>&quot;Siya pala ay masyadong special dito sa chamber natin,&quot; Marcoleta said.</p><p>Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri did not leave this unchecked.</p><p>&quot;Una, yung privileged speeches, we put always, and it&#x27;s been a practice in the past, in the tail end of the discussions because the privileged speeches can take up a lot of time.&quot; </p><p>Zubiri said, &quot;Iyung laman po ng speech si Senator Marcoleta ay binabanatan isang member ng Senado. Obviously, that member of the Senate will stand and defend themselves. We have to give them priority. It goes for any member the Senate, Mr. President.&quot;</p><p> Lacson and Marcoleta later faced off on the floor.</p><p>&quot;Parang ad hominem ang nangyari. Sa akin po, natutukoy lahat ang inyong privilege speech ngayon samantalang ang inaasahan ko ay sasagutin nyo ang privilege speech kahapon. Kasi kung ganun pong mangyayari, malilihis na naman po tayo,&quot; Marcoleta said.</p><p>&quot;Sino ba po nagsimula nito?&quot; Lacson said, &quot;Pero enough is enough. Patuloy po kayo sa pag-atake sa akin. &quot;</p><p>They also reprised their disagreement on the Kalayaan Island Group.</p><p>&quot;So ayaw po ninyong malaman ang totoo, Ginoong Lacson?&quot; Marcoleta said.</p><p>&quot;Kasi po, Mr. President, ang ipapalabas na naman niya, yung China, may karapatan sa lugar na yan. Kaya ayaw ko na po marinig,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>The session was then suspended for a while with senators retreating to the lounge only to come back for closing statements. </p><p>Lacson agreed to continue the investigation but gave no timetable.</p><p>The matter was referred to the Rules Committee and the plenary session moved on to other matters.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/3/marcoleta-blasts-lacson-for-alleged-use-of-technology-to-mislead-public-2149">Marcoleta blasts Lacson for alleged use of technology to &#x27;mislead&#x27; public</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sg84vWGZoDY?si=jX983xTivjPibCHV" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Panfilo Lacson faced off during the plenary session Tuesday after Marcoleta called out Lacson for not issuing a report on the flood control scandal 7 months after the Senate began its probe.</p>

Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Panfilo Lacson faced off during the plenary session Tuesday after Marcoleta called out Lacson for not issuing a report on the flood control scandal 7 months after the Senate began its probe.

Lacson, Marcoleta face off over 'delayed' Blue Ribbon report

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Lacson, Marcoleta face off over 'delayed' Blue Ribbon report

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 10, 2026 06:00 PM PHT

Read More:

Ping Lacson

Rodante Marcoleta

Blue Ribbon report

Senate

flood control

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