Metro Manila, Philippines – Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is set to meet with Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, amid plans to invite the former House speaker to the blue ribbon hearing on anomalous flood control projects.
In a chance interview with reporters on Wednesday, Nov. 5, Sotto said the meeting could happen as soon as their schedules allow.“Nakapagpa-set up lang ako ng meeting. It might be later or tomorrow, basta within the next few days, we’ll be able to talk,” Sotto said.[Translation: I have just set up a meeting. It might be later or tomorrow, it will be within the next few days, we’ll be able to talk.]The Senate leader clarified there is no formal invitation for Romualdez yet. He said the invitation may be extended personally during their meeting or coursed through House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy as a courtesy to the co-equal chamber.The committee’s seventh hearing was tentatively set for Nov. 14, although the date may still change since it cannot coincide with plenary debates on the national budget.Sotto said the Senate’s work and morale remain unaffected by the alleged involvement of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva in flood control anomalies, following the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s recommendation to file charges against them.Estrada and Villanueva have denied accusations of budget insertions and receiving kickbacks from flood control projects.“I concentrate on my work as Senate president,” Sotto said.“Basta’t ika nga, nagtatrabaho kami, gagawin namin ang trabaho namin [We are working and we will do our job],” he added, emphasizing that passing the General Appropriations Bill remains the Senate’s top priority.“Kaya ‘yung mga ganyang mga issue [If those are the issues], I don’t allow it to stymie the work of the Senate, especially the Senate President’s Office,” he said.Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is poised to return as blue ribbon chairman after resigning due to criticisms from some majority senators over his handling of the flood control probe.Sotto downplayed concerns that Lacson’s return could spark division that might threaten his leadership.
