Pangilinan Warns 18 Witnesses: Ignore Senate Summons, Face Subpoena, Contempt, or Arrest
By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Senate Majority Bloc member Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Friday maintained that the ongoing investigation into the alleged flood control scam will proceed under the authority of the Senate’s legitimate Blue Ribbon Committee, dismissing as baseless claims made by the so-called “Cayetano bloc.”
Pangilinan stressed that the 18 individuals linked to the controversial flood control projects were formally invited to attend the official Blue Ribbon Committee hearing scheduled on Monday, and not the hearing conducted by the faction led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
According to Pangilinan, the Senate has legal and parliamentary remedies available should the invited resource persons refuse to appear before the committee.
“If they continue to ignore the committee’s summons, the Senate may exercise its powers to issue subpoenas, cite them in contempt, and, if necessary, order their arrest,” Pangilinan said.
The senator, however, expressed hope that such measures would not be necessary and that the invited individuals would cooperate with the Senate’s investigation.
The warning came as the reconstituted Senate leadership moved to revive the probe into the alleged misuse of billions of pesos allocated for flood control projects.
Following his election as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee under the new majority coalition, Sen. Erwin Tulfo directed the committee secretariat to issue formal invitations to the 18 resource persons, as well as other key personalities, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Pangilinan said the new majority remains determined to pursue accountability over alleged anomalies in flood control spending, emphasizing that the issue has long been a priority even when they were still part of the minority bloc.
He recalled that during the previous Blue Ribbon Committee investigation led by former senator Panfilo Lacson, a partial report had already recommended further scrutiny of several individuals, including some members of the Senate.
However, Pangilinan claimed that the recommendations failed to advance after members of the Cayetano bloc allegedly refused to sign and support the report.
With the Senate now under new leadership, Pangilinan said lawmakers are committed to ensuring that the investigation moves forward and that those responsible for any misuse of public funds are held accountable.
The flood control probe is expected to be among the most closely watched Senate investigations in the coming weeks as lawmakers seek answers on the utilization of billions in government infrastructure spending.
ia/xf
