Hontiveros: Alan Cayetano claim vs Senate majority ‘lacking in fairness’

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Friday dismissed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s accusation that the new Senate majority was supposedly covering up the alleged flood control scandal, saying such remarks were “lacking in fairness.”

In a media interview in Cebu City, Hontiveros said members of the Senate’s new majority had in fact initiated and continued the investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

READ: Risa Hontiveros joins new Senate minority

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“That means his statement about a supposed cover-up was lacking in fairness. There is absolutely no cover-up on the part of the new majority,” Hontiveros said.

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She pointed out that the Senate inquiry stemmed from a privilege speech delivered by then blue ribbon committee chairperson, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who also chaired several hearings on the issue while current chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo committed to continue the investigation.

The senator’s remarks came after Cayetano, in a Facebook livestream on Thursday, claimed there were only two groups in the ongoing political battle in the Senate: those seeking to “uncover the truth” and those seeking to “cover up the truth.”

Cayetano also suggested that the flood control controversy was among the issues supposedly being concealed by the chamber’s new leadership.

He also alleged that efforts to continue the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte had overshadowed what he described as a supposed cover-up involving flood control funds.

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Responding to the allegations, Hontiveros said recent developments showed the Senate remained committed to pursuing the inquiry.

She referenced the 18 former bodyguards linked to the issue who had been present in the Senate building during Tulfo’s latest Blue Ribbon Committee hearing but did not appear before the panel.

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READ: Tulfo slams false info on blue ribbon meet

“Chair Erwin also said they would be invited again. By then, they would be obliged to appear and honor the invitation so there would no longer be any need for the committee to issue subpoenas against them,” Hontiveros added.

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Hontiveros also said the flood control investigation would continue once the blue ribbon committee is fully reconstituted following the recent Senate leadership changes. /mr