House, Senate probe flood control projects

Tension is brewing in both houses of Congress as separate hearings are conducted this week on anomalous flood control projects.

- NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS, DELON PORCALLA, Mark Ernest Villeza, Evelyn Macairan

At the Senate, expected to clash are Blue Ribbon committee chair Rodante Marcoleta against Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson over disagreements on the flood control probe.

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, public accounts panel chair and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon will lead the infrastructure committee hearing on flood control corruption tomorrow.

Marcoleta lashed out at colleagues as he said he felt undermined when they called for the creation of an independent body to probe flood control anomalies.

Sotto and Pangilinan were among those who caught Marcoleta's ire, after they both pushed for an independent people's commission (IPC) to investigate flood control corruption.

Sotto filed a bill over a week ago proposing the creation of an IPC, while Pangilinan suggested that the IPC be led by former ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Rogelio Singson and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

"My understanding is that you are insulting me. I don't like to be insulted.

If he (Pangilinan) wants to replace me (as Blue Ribbon chair), he should say so.

Show everyone that he is better equipped to fulfill the mandate given to that committee," Marcoleta said in his public affairs program on Net25 Saturday.

On Sotto's proposal, Marcoleta said he took it as a sign that the former does not trust the Blue Ribbon committee.

"We can debate there. If they don't like the way I do things, we can debate," he added.

Marcoleta also took aim at Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who introduced a motion to reschedule the hearing today due to a scheduling conflict with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing, which also happens today.