Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday questioned the attention being given to the partial report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the flood control probe, stressing that the inquiry should remain focused on establishing the full truth rather than a single portion of the findings.
“Sa tingin ko, we’re making a mountain out of a molehill doon sa partial [report]. May opportunity tayo na ayusin ang ugat, hindi lang one-time, big-time,” Cayetano said in a media interview on April 28 during an ocular inspection of infrastructure projects in the City of Taguig under the partnership of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the city government.
Cayetano made the statement as a draft or partial committee report on the flood control probe, circulated among senators in February by committee chair Panfilo Lacson, remains unsigned and incomplete, with the investigation still ongoing.
Cayetano said the current discussion risks narrowing the scope of the investigation, with several aspects remaining unresolved.
“Ito lang ang tanong ko: why so much fuss about the partial [report] when we have the opportunity to have the whole and bigger picture?” he added.
He noted that some senators have already reviewed the report but are not in agreement with certain portions, underscoring the need for continued deliberation.
“In fact, marami sa amin ang nakabasa na and we don’t agree with the report. Hindi sa ayaw naming pumirma, we [just] have a lot of disagreements there… That’s the beauty of having 24 senators – everyone can question,” he said.
Cayetano emphasized that the Blue Ribbon inquiry is still ongoing, with more stages expected as additional testimonies and evidence are examined.
“Ako personally, hindi pa tapos. Iniimbestigahan mo pa lang, marami pang yugto, marami pang nabubuksan,” he said.
The Minority Leader also raised concern over how the issue is being framed, noting that early narratives may not reflect the full complexity of the investigation.
“Ang unang naging problema is we didn’t start with the truth. ‘Di ba, from the start, sinasabi natin na hindi lahat ‘yan ghost [projects, pero] pinalabas na lahat ghost para mas maraming magalit. Ngayon, ina-admit nila na hindi naman pala lahat ghost,” he said.
Cayetano said conflicting accounts and shifting statements further highlight the need for a thorough and complete process, warning that focusing on limited findings may lead to incomplete conclusions.
He further stressed that the objective of the inquiry is to establish the full picture of the issue, not just isolated portions of the report.
“Systemic y’ung corruption. Hindi ito isolated,” he said.