Lacson firm on ignoring ‘ex-Marines’MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday defended his decision not to hold a Blue Ribbon inquiry into the claims of 18 alleged former soldiers that they delivered P805 billion in flood control kickbacks to certain politicians. On calls for him to schedule a hearing so that the 18 would “fall flat on their lies,” Lacson said the Blue Ribbon panel’s hearings are meant to ferret out the truth. Lacson earlier flagged what he called the mathematical impossibility of transporting a huge amount that could weigh a staggering 805 metric tons of bank notes. He stressed the “logistical nightmare” of the operation to transport that much money, that could only fit in 13,416 large suitcases weighing a total 53.6 tons. He also pointed out a major discrepancy by comparing the country’s actual cash supply of P2.7 trillion in 2024 with the alleged P805-billion kickbacks.

Source: Philippine Star March 08, 2026 01:02 UTC