Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson questioned the credibility of 18 former military men allegedly linked to a P805-billion cash delivery scheme, saying their claims must withstand “logic” and “basic mathematics” before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee considers holding a hearing.
In a privilege speech on Monday, March 2, Lacson said that while he was not belittling the testimonies, he was seeking to ensure that the information being circulated adheres to rational standards of believability.
The senator stressed that while every allegation of wrongdoing deserves attention, it should not automatically be accepted without scrutiny.
“To be clear, while every imputation of a crime warrants our attention, none deserves our blind deference. In the same manner that everyone has a right to be heard, it is not a license to mislead. Hence, while I reserve judgment on the merits of the testimonies, I am duty-bound to raise questions of logic and – at the very least – basic mathematics,” he said.
Lacson added that questions about the allegations may again be politicized, but maintained that if they are being used as instruments of propaganda or for any motive, they should at least be logically and mathematically possible.
“Siguradong bibigyang-kulay na naman ng mga trolls ang mga tanong na ito. Pero isipin na lang natin: kung magagamit ang mga nasabing alegasyon bilang instrumento ng propaganda o anumang motibo, hindi ba dapat ay logical at mathematically possible man lamang ang mga akusasyon?” he said.
Lacson pointed to what he described as a “logistical nightmare” in supposedly moving 805 metric tons of paper bills, excluding another 53.6 metric tons of large empty suitcases needed to carry the amount. He also raised the time required to unload, count, repack, load and deliver the money to its alleged recipients.
Based on his estimates, completing such an operation would take five and a half years if it started in 2023, or until mid-2027 if it began in the second half of 2022 when then-Rep. Elizaldy Co assumed the chairmanship of the House appropriations committee.
Even at a rate of P500 million delivered per day, Lacson said it would require 1,610 deliveries to and from Co’s residence and around 4.4 years to finish.
He also questioned how much in alleged kickbacks would have been left for Co. “Zero? Was he just a messenger?” Lacson asked.
Citing figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Lacson noted that P805 billion in paper bills would represent a significant portion of the P2.7 trillion total physical cash in the Philippines in 2024.
“That would mean that P400 billion or half of the P805 billion out of the P2.7 trillion pesos of physical cash of 114 million Filipinos passed through a single individual, equivalent to around 15% of the total physical cash, both in circulation and those kept in all the bank vaults,” he said.
“I raise these questions to ensure that the testimonies withstand established facts and logic before we even invite them to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Pray tell Mr. President, if their statements appear to be demonstrably false and physically impossible to accomplish, wouldn’t convening a hearing effectively validate and dignify disinformation?” he added.
