MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson said attempts to prevent the release of findings on the Senate’s flood control probe will not succeed, citing sustained public interest in the issue.

Lacson, who serves as Senate President Pro Tempore and chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said he is set to deliver a privilege speech next week to present his Chairman’s Progress Report after the panel’s partial report failed to secure enough signatures for plenary consideration.

“Our people are angry and will not forget the issue. It will take decades before the issue is gone from the public’s memory. I called the flood control scandal ‘Napoles 2’ but this is much worse and it’s no laughing matter,” he said in an interview on DZMM radio.

He said the planned speech aims to update the public following seven to eight hearings, amid what he described as misinformation surrounding the probe.

“As Blue Ribbon Chairman I owe it to the Filipino people to update them on what happened after seven to eight hearings. This is because many are not updated and especially because there are false narratives being spread that we are covering up for some persons and targeting others. And another compelling reason is that the partial committee report’s contents have been overtaken by events,” he added.

Lacson was referring to the case involving Janet Lim-Napoles in the early 2010s, which involved alleged kickbacks from ghost projects.

“Filipinos won’t forget the flood control scandal especially because lives and livelihoods were lost,” he said.

The senator said a partial report prepared in February could not move forward after failing to obtain the required signatures from committee members.

While he said he respects senators who declined to sign, Lacson disagreed with their reasoning.

“It is our duty as members of committees, not just the Blue Ribbon Committee, to sign a committee report and indicate whether we will interpellate, will amend, have reservations or will submit a separate report or opinion. We should not refuse to sign just to block the report from reaching the plenary,” he said.

Lacson said he may deliver his privilege speech on May 4 or 5, which could include additional evidence not previously discussed during hearings.

He added that the report may be shared with agencies such as the Department of Justice (Philippines) and the Office of the Ombudsman (Philippines) to aid in case buildup.

The move could also pave the way for the resumption of hearings, with Lacson saying the panel plans to invite several individuals, including former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

He said former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson may also be invited, along with several former soldiers who claimed to have delivered large sums of money to certain personalities.

Lacson said hearings could resume before the Senate adjourns sine die on June 6, noting that the committee would also consider scheduling adjustments in anticipation of a possible impeachment trial involving Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Assuming the Articles of Impeachment are transmitted to the Senate, we will have to think of making mornings vacant during the impeachment trial and during session days, so we can hold committee hearings,” he said.