Lacson admits confronting Gordon during blue ribbon probe

Sen. Panfilo Lacson INQUIRER file photo

Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed on Thursday he confronted Senator Richard Gordon inside the Senate lounge over the latter’s behavior when presiding over the hearings of the Senate blue ribbon committee.

While he said they remained friends, Lacson recalled an incident where he confronted Gordon over how he conducted the committee investigation into the P6.4 billion worth of smuggled shabu from China.

“Hindi naman masisira yung friendship. Alam mo even during the investigation ng blue ribbon sa P6.4-billion shabu, nagkaroon na rin kami kahit papaano ng confrontation sa lounge,” he said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

(The friendship I guess will not be broken. You know, even during the investigation of the blue ribbon on the P6.4-billion shabu, we had our fair share of confrontations inside the lounge.)

“I already confronted him for not allowing the other members to participate,” Lacson said.

He recalled telling Gordon that he had been sitting in the hearing for two days but he was not given a chance to speak. Gordon then assured to prioritize him in the next hearing but failed to make true to his own promise.

READ: Gordon hit for one-man show

Since then, Lacson said he stopped attending the probe and opted to just monitor the proceedings from his office at the Senate.

“We gave it to him kasi yung passion niya minsan talagang ‘pag nagsalita na siya sobrang passionate, wala na talagang makasingit [We gave it to him because when he becomes passionate sometimes, no one can butt in anymore],” he said.

But still, Lacson said, he would raise the issue of Gordon’s behavior when they tackle in the plenary the panel’s report on Dengvaxia.

Lacson did not sign the report as he questioned the panel’s recommendation to file charges against former President Benigno Aquino III.

READ: Lacson won’t sign Dengvaxia report due to Gordon’s ‘unreasonable’ remark

“Hopefully, magkaroon ng konting pagbabago sa pagpre-preside niya sa mga pagdinig kasi hindi na rin naman natututuwa yung iba [Hopefully, there will be a slight change on how he preside over the hearings because some of us are no longer happy].”

During the hearings on Dengvaxia, he said, there had been information that were not able to get from resource persons because they were not given a chance to speak.

“’Pag nagtanong, minsan, ang nangyayari siya rin ang sumasagot . At pagtaliwas sa kanyang paniniwala ang sagot ng resource persons pinipigilan nya… So makakakuha ka ba ng enough facts na mai-include mo sa committee report ‘pag hindi naman nakakapagsalita yung resource persons.”

READ: Clearly it’s ‘Dick Gordon show,’ says Aquino on Dengvaxia draft report

(Sometimes he answers his own questions and when the answers of the resource persons are contrary to his own beliefs, he would stop them. So how could you get enough facts to include in the committee report if the resource persons will not be allowed to speak.)

“Kaya hindi nga maiiwasan na maipakita rin how he conducted the hearings dun sa Dengvaxia, [That’s why we can’t avoid to show how he conducted the hearings on Dengvaxia],” Lacson added.

Despite this, Lacson rejected Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s repeated call to replace Gordon as chairman of the blue ribbon.

“I will not call for his replacement,” he said, “Basta ako I will not call for his resignation or his replacement as blue ribbon chairman, I will not do that.” /jpv