Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said the so-called “minority report” on the alleged flood control scandal presented by Senators Imee Marcos and Rodante Marcoleta belonged in the trash because it carried no weight under Senate rules.
“There is no other place for that ‘minority report’ but the trash bin. How will I… treat with respect a document that symbolizes disrespect toward the Blue Ribbon Committee and the entire Senate, both of which they are members?” Lacson said.
He emphasized that only one Blue Ribbon Committee is authorized to investigate the issue and that a valid committee report must be signed by a majority of committee members, not a minority bloc.
Lacson added he did not read the report because he already considered it procedurally invalid.
The report, 576 pages long, was submitted to the Office of the Senate President in December before being released to the media.
Lacson said minority senators, many of them veteran lawmakers, could raise their positions through amendments to the official report.
“They are members of the committee but now they are nitpicking our hearings. Being members, why don’t they just attend and show the evidence they claim to have?” he said.
He noted that evidence gathered by the Blue Ribbon Committee has already helped build cases now pending in court.
“The Blue Ribbon Committee was a great help in addressing the issue. For some to belittle it, that is an insult to the entire Senate,” he added.
Lacson agreed with Senate President Vicente Sotto III that the minority report was mainly for media exposure.
Meanwhile, businessman Maynard Ngu denied claims by former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo that he acted as a bagman for then Senate President Francis Escudero or received money from flood control projects.
“I absolutely deny all the allegations made by Usec. Bernardo,” Ngu told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Ngu was recommended by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to the Ombudsman in December to face charges related to the multibillion-peso flood control project scandal.
The ICI referral also included former senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., former DPWH executives, and several private individuals.
“Possible cases include direct or indirect bribery and corruption of public officials, plunder, and administrative sanctions, among others,” the ICI stated.
Ngu maintained Bernardo’s claims were false and said he had filed a case against him for defamatory insinuations.
Former DPWH Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara also denied giving money to Ngu or former DepEd undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.
Alcantara testified that he only delivered funds to Bernardo and had no dealings with private individuals.
The Senate on Wednesday transferred Alcantara’s custody to the Department of Justice for placement under the Witness Protection Program following a formal request.
DOJ and National Bureau of Investigation personnel fetched Alcantara, citing his admission to the WPP under Republic Act No. 6981.
In a letter dated Jan. 21, DOJ officer-in-charge Secretary Fredderick Vida requested the immediate transfer, saying it was “in the interest of the service and pursuant to the provisions of existing laws and regulations.”
The DOJ also assured the Senate that Alcantara would continue cooperating fully.
Alcantara had been under Senate custody since Sept. 18, 2025, in connection with the panel’s investigation into alleged flood control project irregularities.
