Lacson Denies Interference in Flood Controlโฃ Probe, Addresses Tensions wiht Marcoleta
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson clarified โคhis position on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee‘s probeโ intoโข questionable flood control projects,โค responding to insinuations by โcommittee chairman Senator โFrancisโข Tolentino Marcoleta that he sought to reschedule hearings to avoid Marcoleta’s leadership. The exchange โstems from a โschedulingโ conflictโ with the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on the proposed 2026 budget.
Lacson addressedโข the issue following Marcoleta’s comments on a television program, where he criticizedโ Lacson, Senator Francis Pangilinan, and โคSenate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III for proposingโค an self-reliant body to investigate flood control anomalies, alleging an attempt to undermine the Blue Ribbon Committee’s โขmandate.
“To set the record straight, โno one โฃis interfering inโข his work. We โall want to have good governance,” Lacson stated in a radio โinterview, speaking in โคFilipino.He explained that his request was not specifically aimed at Marcoleta, but rather a suggestion to reschedule both the Blueโข Ribbonโค Committee hearing, scheduled โfor 9 a.m.on September 1st, and the Finance Committee hearing, set โfor 10 a.m. that โคsame day, โdue to theโข importance of both proceedings. โTheโ Finance Committee hearing will include a briefing by the Development budget Coordination Committee on the Proposed Fiscal โคYear 2026 National Expenditure Program.
Lacson emphasized he recognizes Marcoleta’s โmandate as chairmanโ andโ did not intendโ to belittle the committee’s hearing. “I wasโฃ not โฃasking him to reschedule his hearing. I merely asked โขeither hearingsโฃ to be held on another date, as they are both crucial,” he said.
He concludedโ by stating, “I don’t want a fight but Iโค won’t back โคdown fromโข one,” clarifying his intent toโ correct any misimpressions created by Marcoleta’s statements.The Blue Ribbon Committee is currently probing possibly “ghost โor โขsubstandard โflood control projects.”