Lacson Resigns as Senate Blue Ribbon Chair Over Rift on Flood Control Probe

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has formally stepped down as chairman of the powerful Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, citing growing dissatisfaction among fellow senators over the direction of the panel’s probe into alleged corruption in flood control projects.

Lacson submitted his resignation letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday evening, October 6, following mounting criticisms from colleagues. Several senators reportedly accused him of focusing the investigation on some members of the Senate while allegedly sparing lawmakers from the House of Representatives, who are believed to be key players in the budget irregularities.

“Some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the Lower House,” Lacson said in his letter. He strongly denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false,” and maintained that the probe follows evidence, not political noise.

Lacson assured colleagues that his decisions were not politically motivated, stressing that he has no plans to seek any elective post after his term ends in 2031. Sotto expressed full support for Lacson’s decision, acknowledging the senator’s frustration with the ongoing hearings on alleged irregularities within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Lacson had earlier announced his intention to resign during a Sunday press briefing, signaling a major shift in the Senate’s investigation into multibillion-peso flood control projects.