Photo courtesy of Ping Lacson/Facebook.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday said only three more signatures are needed to complete the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on its flood control investigation.
Lacson said nine signatures are required before the report can be formally transmitted to the Senate plenary for further deliberation and possible adoption.
He reported that Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Blue Ribbon Committee Vice Chairman Erwin Tulfo had already signed the document, along with at least two other senators signaling support.
According to Lacson, Senators Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan, and Risa Hontiveros had earlier affixed their signatures, along with his own.
He added that some members of the committee remained hesitant, allegedly due to appeals made by former colleagues from the previous majority bloc.
Lacson said he would not pressure other senators to sign, stressing that participation in the report must remain a matter of personal judgment.
He also noted that Sotto had offered to help secure additional signatures to move the report forward.
The senator earlier suspended further hearings on the flood control issue, saying proceedings would be pointless without a completed committee report ready for plenary action.