Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has made serious allegations against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), claiming kickbacks in Taguig's infrastructure projects could reach 33%. This accusation raises concerns about the integrity of public works in the city.
Allegations of Substandard Projects and Corruption
Everything is documented. These are not rumors or hearsay. We have the contract IDs—they're complete.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson
Lacson claims his team has gathered substantial evidence, including progress billing documents and contract IDs, which they have submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman. He emphasized that whistleblower accounts were instrumental in tracing the alleged flow of kickbacks.
- Allegations of kickbacks up to 33% of project costs.
- Claims of ghost projects with identical geotagged evidence.
The senator also accused Senator Alan Peter Cayetano of exerting undue influence over the local DPWH district engineer, alleging that those who resist are either replaced or intimidated. Lacson described the district engineer's role as being akin to a puppet.
Photographic evidence presented by Lacson's office suggests that multiple projects were falsely reported as completed. For instance, four slope protection projects allegedly used the same images to verify completion, raising questions about their authenticity.
The accusations come at a time when scrutiny of infrastructure spending and project integrity is particularly heightened, especially with the Philippines' ongoing battle against corruption in government contracts.
Cayetano has yet to publicly respond to these latest claims, although he previously maintained that there are no ghost projects in Taguig. The exchange adds to a contentious relationship between the two senators, particularly concerning infrastructure oversight.
Lacson's continued investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the alleged corruption, as he claims Cayetano secured P6.795 billion in project insertions in the recent budget, further complicating the issue.
The Senate remains a critical battleground for reform, as lawmakers grapple with ensuring accountability in public spending while facing allegations of corruption.