By Lane Afable, News Editor
The planned filing of plunder and other charges by the Office of the Ombudsman against personalities linked to the flood control mess vindicate the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.
Lacson said the Blue Ribbon panel’s investigation under his chairmanship had gathered key evidence and transmitted it to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.
“Ombudsman (Jesus Crispin) Remulla’s announcement that plunder, malversation and other cases will soon be filed with the Sandiganbayan against the same government officials implicated in the Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the flood control anomaly is a vindication of our findings and recommendations,” he said on X.
Lacson chaired the Blue Ribbon Committee until a leadership change in the Senate last May 11.
On Tuesday, Ombudsman Remulla said his office expects to file plunder charges against Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada this Thursday, after the DOJ recommended plunder, bribery and graft cases against Estrada and other former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.
Remulla also said a plunder case may be filed against Sen. Joel Villanueva, possibly in the next two weeks.
Lacson earlier said that while he was saddened that some fellow senators were linked to the flood control project anomalies, he has a duty to perform.
“It is not a pleasant thing to see some of our colleagues face charges or jail due to the flood control scandal. But painful as it is, I have always maintained that we will go where the evidence leads us. We will not force ourselves to look for evidence that will target certain people including our colleagues in the Senate,” he said.
