MANILA — Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson rejected what he described as “overstretched innuendos” linking him to the flood control controversy, while also criticizing Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano over a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.

In a report, it said that in a social media post, Lacson called Cayetano “disgusting” and accused him of dragging his name into corruption allegations without evidence.

“Disgraced ex-SP Cayetano desperately dragged my name in a bogus BRC (Blue Ribbon Committee) hearing without an iota of evidence or even a tiny bit of basis or reason except to pull me into a corruption controversy. He exposed his loathsome behavior by using overstretched innuendos. He is disgusting,” Lacson said.

The remarks came after allegations surfaced during a Senate flood control inquiry where individuals claiming to be former members of the Philippine Marines alleged that funds from flood control projects were distributed to politicians and other personalities.

During the hearing, a photo was also shown purportedly depicting Lacson and Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III aboard an aircraft allegedly owned by former Rep. Zaldy Co.

The session continued despite Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s statement that the supposed June 4 hearing had been postponed.

Gatchalian was earlier elected by a 12-member bloc as Senate president pro tempore and was designated acting Senate president by the same group.

Aside from Lacson, the individuals presented during the hearing allegedly linked several public officials to the flood control issue, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., senators Sotto and Erwin Tulfo, Rep. Leila de Lima, France Castro, Benny Abante, Zia Alonto Adiong, and others.

Sotto earlier described the Cayetano-led proceedings as “unofficial and unauthorized.”