THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will invite former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co to its next hearing on anomalous flood control projects.
“For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to his address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up,” Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, who heads the committee said in a statement. “If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order.”
He added that if the former congressman fails to attend the next hearing, the Senate will cite him in contempt and issue a warrant of arrest.
Mr. Co, who resigned from his congressional post on Monday, was previously given parliamentary courtesy by the Senate.
He will be replaced by Ako Bicol party-list third nominee Jan Franz Norbert Joselito A. Chan, Party-list Rep. Alfredo C. Garbin, Jr. said in a Viber message.
This comes amid allegations over his role in questionable flood control projects and budget insertions. He has also been accused of collecting as much as 25% commissions from congressional insertions, which he denies. Mr. Co sat as the Appropriations committee for more than two years since the start of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s term.
Malacañang on Tuesday urged Mr. Co to return to the Philippines and face all accusations against him.
“If a case is filed against him, he will not be able to avoid it. He cannot run from it,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing in Filipino.
“It would be better if, should he face any charges, he simply fights for his rights and stands by the truth supported by his evidence.”
Mr. Co is currently in Madrid, Spain while an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) blue notice is against him.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla earlier said that authorities no longer expect Mr. Co to appear before the Department of Justice, raising the possibility of him being declared a fugitive through Interpol.
He clarified that while Mr. Co has not yet been officially classified as a fugitive, that designation is likely forthcoming.
In a separate statement, Cebu Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” D. Frasco said Mr. Co’s resignation should not absolve him of alleged crimes linked to anomalous flood control deals.
“If consequences are limited only to a nominee, Congress sets a dangerous precedent: that members can violate rules, resign to avoid expulsion, and leave their party untouched,” he said.
Mr. Co’s resignation “is not an abandonment,” Mr. Garbin said in response to Mr. Frasco’s statement. “It demonstrates respect for institutional integrity, allowing investigations to proceed free of any suspicion of undue influence.”
Meanwhile, Senator Lacson said that the committee will also invite former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to the hearing.
The senator said that the Blue Ribbon Committee will continue its hearings on anomalous infrastructure projects as long as there are new major developments that it needs to look into.
“If we stop the probe now, we may reinforce the perception rightly or wrongly that we are covering up for someone. No. I said it clearly, we will go where the evidence leads us,” he said.
Earlier, the House Infrastructure Committee halted its investigation to give way to the independent government fact-finding body.
Also on Tuesday, listed firm Altus Property Ventures, Inc. (APVI) announced the resignation of Maynard S. Ngu as an independent member of its board of directors on Sept. 29.
In a stock exchange disclosure, the APVI board said it has accepted Mr. Ngu’s resignation, who stepped down due to personal reasons.
Mr. Ngu has been tagged by former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo in connection with an ongoing inquiry related to flood control projects.
In a sworn affidavit, Mr. Bernardo claimed that Mr. Ngu is the bagman of Senator Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero
Mr. Ngu, a government contractor, contributed P30 million to Mr. Escudero’s 2022 senatorial campaign, according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Mr. Ngu is the chief executive officer of Cosmic Technologies, which is behind the local cellphone brand Cherry Mobile. — Adrian H. Halili, Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
