NO weakening of draft resolution, Lacson maintains.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson clarified that revisions in the wording of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report did not weaken its recommendations, stressing that the changes were merely generic and meant to avoid public misunderstanding.
Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, said the report continues to recommend that the cases involved undergo the proper legal process, including preliminary investigation.
“Kailangan mag-undergo ito ng preliminary investigation. Ang mga changes are generic lang. We never deviated sa mga kasong ito tulad ng plunder and graft, gaya ng direct bribery, malversation of public funds, violation of anti-graft, violation of ethical standards at marami pa ‘yan. Na-specify ito pero hindi ito humina,” Lacson said.
He explained that the committee avoided using the word “charged” because of its common connotation among the public.
“Yung word na charged parang nasa korte, so nag-suggest ang iba sa majority na baka puwedeng i-soften ang language pero hindi ma-sacrifice ang tunay na intent,” he added.
Lacson emphasized that the substance of the report remained unchanged and that the revisions were made solely to clarify that the Senate cannot file cases in court, a power reserved for the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.
He also said portions of the committee’s deliberations were conducted in executive session because they involved classified information used for validation with concerned agencies.
The senator noted that the draft report was still being finalized and was not yet an official public document, but once adopted, it would automatically become part of the public record.
He expressed confidence that the report would secure enough signatures from the majority to be reported out to the plenary, although procedural questions remain on whether signatures from the minority are required.
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