Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday said he plans to expand the scope of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation into anomalies in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects after being reinstated as chairman.
“Over time, the DPWH has allowed such abuses to occur because they went undetected or punished,” he said in a statement. “Over time, it became a profitable practice.”
The senator said the investigation could be expanded beyond flood control projects to include other DPWH undertakings, such as farm-to-market roads, that have been flagged for irregularities.
Earlier, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Finance Committee, raised concerns over the allegedly overpriced farm-to-market road projects worth P10 billion implemented by the agency.
The Blue Ribbon Committee is investigating bribes linked to multibillion-peso flood control projects after reports that lawmakers and public officials benefited from infrastructure funds allocated from 2022.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III confirmed last week that Mr. Lacson is set to return as committee chairman when Congress resumes session next month. Mr Lacson resigned from his post earlier this year after being criticized by his colleagues over his handling of the investigation.
If reappointed, the senator said he plans to call another hearing on November 14 and subpoena a “very important witness” who could identify more officials linked to the corruption scheme. He refused to reveal the name of that person.
Mr. Lacson said the committee would invite party-list representative Elizaldi S. to testify at the next hearing. Will also call the company's former security associate.
The aide had previously claimed he was part of a group that sought to elect Mr. Company and Lay Representative and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. from December 2024 to August 2025. Bags of money were delivered to Romualdez's homes. Both MPs have denied the allegations.
The senator said the committee intends to subpoena the contractor allegedly responsible for the construction of Mr. Romualdez's residence, as well as secure the project logbooks to verify the aide's statements.
Mr Lacson said expanding the investigation would expose systemic irregularities in public infrastructure projects and ensure accountability in the distribution of government funds.
The Blue Ribbon Committee, one of the Senate's most powerful investigative bodies, has historically handled high-profile corruption cases involving public funds and government contracts. Its findings often lead to administrative or criminal recommendations against public officials. , Adrian H. Halili
