ANOTHER CHANGE in leadership is not expected in the Senate as it could further erode public trust, analysts said, following the reappointment of Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson as the head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last week.
“Senators may not have the appetite for a leadership change for now because of the potential public backlash,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“Right now, the people want action against corruption. A leadership change might be seen as the senate trying to obfuscate the situation and evade accountability,” he added.
Gary D. Ador Dionisio, dean at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance said that any leadership shuffles in the upper chamber may face further backlash from the public.
“Given the invested interest of various groups in the flood control probe, any attempt to cover up any individuals, either from the congress, contractors or (Public Works) officials will create a major backlash to our political institutions,” he said in a Messenger chat. “Thus, leadership shuffle is the least important concern at this point.”
Mr. Ador Dionisio said that the senator’s return to the committee was inevitable as most of the lawmakers eyed for the position declined the Senate chief’s offer.
“The return of Sen. Lacson as head of committee is inevitable given that members of the senate majority decided to decline this highly important position at this critical juncture of Philippine politics,” he added.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said it may trigger a leadership struggle in the Senate.
“The (Blue Ribbon Committee) shuffle, in my view, may trigger a leadership struggle only insofar as the Duterte bloc raises hell, and the rest of the Senate gets intimidated by it again,” he said in a Messenger chat.
Mr. Juliano added the Mr. Lacson has developed a longer and more established reputation that can insulate him from the current partisanship.
Last week, Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III confirmed the Mr. Lacson is set to return as the head of the committee after the upper chamber resumes next month.
The senator earlier resigned as the committee chair, noting criticism from fellow senators on his handling of the chamber’s probe on anomalous flood projects.
Mr. Lacson said in a statement on Saturday that he will resume the Senate committee’s inquiry on anomalous infrastructure projects once the session resumes next month.
“If elected again as Blue Ribbon chairman on Nov. 10, our hearing will resume on Nov. 14,” he added.
He added that the committee will also invite Orly Guteza, the former security aide of Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co, to the next Senate hearing.
“To help speed up the filing of airtight cases against some politicians, DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) officials and errant contractors, we will invite among others, a ‘very important witness’ and retired TSgt. Orly Guteza to shed more light on his (sworn statement),” Mr. Lacson said.
Mr. Guteza claims that he was part of a team that would deliver bags of money, which they referred to as “basura” (garbage), to the lawmaker. — Adrian H. Halili
