The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
SENATE, Pasay City — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson didn’t mince words as he expressed his disappointment over the Marcos Jr. administration’s failure to fulfill its promise of catching the “big fish” in the flood control corruption scandal before Christmas day.
According to Senator Lacson, “who else will believe in the government if promises were not kept and fulfilled?”
“Some have been jailed, but not those our people want to see behind bars,” he pointed out during a radio interview.
“I share the disappointment of the citizens about what’s happening,” he added while noting that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee probe he led had already uncovered damning evidence of corruption.
Moreover, the former Philippine National Police chief cited, Christmas day went by with only flood control contractor Sarah Discaya behind bars over the alleged ₱96.5-million ‘ghost’ flood control project in Davao Occidental.
Sadly, no senator, congressman or Cabinet official have been put behind bars even as President Marcos Jr. stated that high-profile suspects would “not have a merry Christmas” as they would be jailed soon.
Also so far, among lawmakers, only resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co was charged before the Sandiganbayan, which ordered his arrest, for an anomalous Oriental Mindoro flood control project.
Co, however, remains at large abroad.
Lacson lamented the slow pace of the investigation that culminated in the untimely passing of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral, who allegedly committed suicide over perceived pressure on her not to tell all.
Lacson disclosed Cabral and her lawyer met with him about possibly testifying during the Blue Ribbon committee probe, where he had wanted Cabral to testify about what he termed as ‘allocables’ or budget ceilings set aside for lawmaker-proponents of flood control projects.
While she did not participate in the investigation, Cabral left Lacson with some of her files, such as a December 27, 2024 special allotment release order for ₱50 billion in unprogrammed funds, ₱30 billion of which went to mostly ghost flood control projects.