Sotto urged: Do not rely on testimonies

MANILA, Philippines — Senators should also give attention to official documents as evidence and not just to verbal testimonies in the investigation on corruption in flood control projects, according to a member of the House of Representatives who also called out Senate President Vicente Sotto III for reportedly defending his colleagues from allegations of involvement in the scandal.

“Senator Sotto should be more careful with his pronouncements. His remarks could be seen as prejudging the outcome of the investigation or worse, siding with colleagues to protect political alliances. Better to keep your opinion to yourself and let the evidence speak for itself,” Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said yesterday.

“It’s not the role of the Senate President to clear anyone through the media. His job is to ensure that truth and accountability prevail. If he truly believes in fairness, he should support the investigation instead of casting doubt,” Santos said.

“Let the investigation run its course. Any premature defense of the accused undermines the integrity of the process. If we want fairness, we should allow the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Ombudsman to do their jobs without interference,” Santos said.

“Let the evidence speak, not premature opinions,” he pointed out.

“This is not about politics – it’s about accountability. If there’s nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to fear. But no one, not even the most powerful political families, should be above scrutiny,” Santos, an assistant majority leader, said.

As investigation on flood control anomalies continues, Rep. Alfredo Benitez has voiced his support for an initiative to make Bacolod City the “benchmark” for dealing with flood problem across the country.

“We are optimistic about finding the right solution through this Summit, and who knows, making Bacolod the benchmark in addressing this problem in other cities and towns across the country,” Benitez said after the first session of the Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit.

“We recognize that solving the flooding issue is not the responsibility of just one agency, or the government’s alone. I am glad that our partners have shown full support for this endeavor,” the former Bacolod City mayor said.

The Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit, a brainchild of Benitez, was held on Oct. 20.

Representatives from the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology, Human Settlements and Urban Development, Interior and Local Government, among other agencies attended the summit.