Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he is preparing to present a Chairman’s Progress Report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to the plenary, citing delays in securing enough signatures for a partial committee report on a controversial flood control probe.

Lacson, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, said the progress report will be issued instead of waiting for a Partial Committee Report to be finalized and signed by a majority of panel members.

He noted that submitting a Chairman’s Progress Report has precedent in the Senate and can serve a similar purpose, with updates reflecting the latest developments in the investigation.

Lacson said the report will be presented in plenary with accompanying audio-visual materials and, once submitted, may serve as an official basis for further investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The partial committee report has so far secured only six signatures, short of the nine required for adoption, he said.

According to Lacson, there is little difference between a Partial Committee Report and a Chairman’s Progress Report, except for revisions incorporating recent findings related to the alleged flood control anomaly.

Once presented, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is expected to resume hearings on the issue.

Lacson added that he plans to invite former House Speaker Martin Romualdez anew and arrange a confrontation with former congressman Zaldy Co, if the latter returns to the Philippines.

Co had been linked to testimony from former Marines who claimed they delivered suitcases of cash tied to the alleged irregularities.