Lacson: Minority report ‘symbolizes disrespect’ to Blue Ribbon panel

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the minority bloc’s report on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood control projects symbolizes disrespect to the panel and to the Senate as a whole. 

Lacson, who was asked to comment on the minority bloc’s decision to submit a report to Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s office in December, emphasized on Wednesday that “respect begets respect.”

“How will I, as chairman of the [blue ribbon committee], treat with respect a document that symbolizes disrespect toward the [committee] and the entire Senate, both of which they are members?” asked Lacson in a message to reporters. 

“Last time I counted, there [were] 17 regular and 3 ex-officio members of the committee. They should review the Senate rules. They have been legislators for a long time and they should know the procedure in the adoption of a committee report in plenary,” he said.

“They can always propose amendments at the proper time and not preempt the blue ribbon committee,” he pointed out. 

Six of the Senate’s nine-member minority bloc have signed the so-called “minority report,” containing possible charges against personalities implicated in the flood control scandal.

In the same report, the minority bloc said they found former House Speaker Martin Romualdez liable for being either complicit in the flood control mess or negligent in his job as the head of the lower chamber in light of the issue.

Those who signed were Sen. Imee Marcos, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, Sen. Bato dela Rosa, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Robin Padilla and Sen. Bong Go.

Sotto earlier brushed off the minority bloc’s report, calling it an unofficial piece of paper.

According to Sotto, a minority report is only submitted after the committee report of the mother committee has been submitted. 

“Otherwise, it’s a piece of paper or, unless, the report pertains to the two days that was conducted by the previous chairman, then it is not called a minority report. It is simply a report on the said dates,” said Sotto on Tuesday. 

“Also, a report, unless taken up in plenary, is simply an unofficial report,” he added. /apl