Press Release
June 18, 2007

PING TO JOKER: WHERE'S COMMITTEE REPORT ON PIDAL PROBE

"What closure is he talking about?"

On this note, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson turned the tables on Sen. Joker Arroyo, whom he said has yet to come out with the committee report on the Blue Ribbon committee investigation of the infamous Jose Pidal accounts involving First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

"There can only be closure in any investigation at the Senate if the committee comes up with its report. In the case of the Pidal investigation, there is none. So what closure is he talking about?" Senator Lacson said, reacting on Senator Arroyo's statement Sunday.

He said a committee report signed by its members is also required to send the investigation to the archives. "Again, in this case, there is none," Senator Lacson said.

"I've presented more than enough evidence including the original copies of the checks issued from the Pidal accounts but his committee clearly sat on the case, " Lacson said.

Senator Lacson also took exception to Senator Arroyo's allegation that he is `lusting' for the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon committee.

"If I lust for anything, it is to hold bad people in government accountable for their illegal acts. Besides, it only takes supposedly good men to do nothing for the bad and corrupt to triumph," he said.

Senator Lacson said he was merely stating his preference for committee chairmanship in pursuance of his advocacy to stop corruption and promote public accountability.

"Ultimately, the choice for chairman of the committee on public accountability will be up to our peers or the consensus of the Senate majority," he said.

Senator Lacson said he was taken aback by Senator Arroyo's vehement reaction to his statement of preference.

"Is Senator Joker concerned that a Blue Ribbon committee not under his control will investigate government-owned and controlled corporations like the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes or Philippine Amusement and Games Corporation for financing his campaign ads in the last senatorial election like they did in his first senatorial runu in May 2001?" Senator Lacson said.

"May I remind him that no one has a Torrens title over the chairmanship of any committee in the Senate and it is not up to him to decide to whom he shall pass his chairmanship, " he said.

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