Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan/PNA
Branding Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as ‘Boy Banat’, Senate Blue Ribbon chair Erwin Tulfo took a jab at his colleague, saying flood control scandal probe is coming.
Tulfo told the Senate Minority Leader to “relax” after the latter challenged him to continue the panel’s investigation into the controversial flood control anomalies.
“We have investigations into flood control that we will conduct. So tell him to just relax and not get too worked up. Really, ‘Boy Banat’ just says whatever,” the former veteran broadcaster turned lawmaker spoke in Pilipino in a radio interview.
“He just has to wait because the Blue Ribbon Committee has yet to be formally convened. The point is, we will get to that. We will not stop investigating the flood control issue,” Tulfo pointed out.
He was asked for his reaction after Cayetano in a Facebook livecast last Thursday alleged that Tulfo, Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson and other senators involved in the blue ribbon committee’s flood control investigation were close with and “following orders” from Malacañan.
Cayetano in his live likewise proposed that in exchange for his support to the investigation of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Melvin Matibag into the alleged procurement irregularities in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), the minority SENATORS should be allowed to probe into the flood control mess.
“Senator Alan is complicating things,” Tulfo cited. “We have made it clear several times that the Blue Ribbon Committee will begin its work after the (State of the Nation Address), and we will set a schedule, okay? We will investigate it.”
The blue ribbon committee chair likewise rejected the narrative that the Senate had abandoned the flood control issue because of its focus on Vice President ‘Inday’ Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, pointing out that the proceedings would take precedence and use the Senate session hall.
Tulfo then questioned whether Cayetano wanted to delay the impeachment proceedings.
On the sixth day of VP Duterte’s trial, Cayetano had manifested in trial that Matibag’s announcement of the SEA Games probe was an attempt to “intimidate” the impeachment court, noting that Matibag is scheduled to testify in Duterte’s trial.
Cayetano, who chaired the organizing committee for the 2019 SEA Games, was backed by his elder sister, Sen. Pilar Juliana ‘Pia’ Cayetano, who previously chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee before Tulfo took over the panel.
Malacañan has also denied the Cayetano siblings’ claim, saying the NBI Investigation into alleged SEAG transaction irregularities, including the bidding processes and procurement, was not intended to intimidate anyone.
In a statement, Director Matibag stood by the probe, stressing that the NBI is only doing its mandate to investigate, which he pointed out will not stop just because he will testify in a proceeding.