MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and 18 men who claim to be former Marines are among those invited to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in its upcoming hearing on Thursday, which continues its investigation into alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
The hearing will be chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano, the newly installed head of the committee following a Senate leadership change earlier this month.
Cayetano confirmed in a statement that the panel has sent out formal invitations to various resource persons as part of its continuing probe into possible corruption and accountability issues surrounding infrastructure spending.
“We look forward to the cooperation of all invited resource persons and agencies as the Committee carries out its mandate in aid of legislation and public accountability,” she said.
Aside from Romualdez and the 18 individuals who previously alleged they transported cash-filled suitcases linked to House officials, the list of invitees also includes lawyers, government officials, and representatives from key agencies such as the DPWH, DOJ, DBM, and the Office of the Ombudsman.
The controversy gained further attention after lawyer Levito Baligod claimed that invitations extended to him and the 18 alleged former Marines were earlier withdrawn. He posted a screenshot of an email supposedly confirming the cancellation of the committee invitations.
However, it remains unclear whether the Senate later reinstated or reissued the invitations.
The committee has not yet released further clarification, while responses from Cayetano’s office and Baligod are still being awaited.
ia/xf
