MANILA, Philippines — New witnesses have surfaced to detail the delivery of boxes of money in connection with anomalous infrastructure projects in Taguig City, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said the witnesses approached the Ombudsman to disclose details of the deliveries, including at least one single delivery involving millions of pesos.
"The latest development is that there are witnesses who approached the Ombudsman and shared details of how boxes of money were delivered. One of the deliveries involved millions of pesos," Lacson said in an interview on DZBB radio.
The information is among the pieces of evidence being evaluated in the Ombudsman's fact-finding investigation, he added.
Earlier, Lacson and his team submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman at least 45 case studies backed by official documents detailing “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects.
The Office of the Ombudsman has launched a fact-finding investigation into the allegations involving the projects in Taguig.
"With the Ombudsman now on the case, let's see what happens. I would like to think that it may file charges against those involved before the end of the year," he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said new findings from the Philippine Reclamation Authority show that unauthorized encroachment into Laguna Lake on the Taguig City side has reached 170 hectares, double the initial estimate of 85 hectares.
"TAGUIG UPDATE: The scale of unauthorized encroachment into Laguna Lake has dramatically expanded. While initial estimates pointed to 85 hectares, our latest verification from the PRA reveals that 170 hectares on the Taguig side alone have been covered with soil," he said in a social media post on Saturday afternoon.
Lacson said the 170 hectares account for nearly one-third of an estimated 560 hectares of reclaimed area covering portions of Laguna Lake in Rizal and Laguna.
He said it would be a "blessing" if the national government confiscates the 170 hectares on the Taguig side because it is considered prime property.
The senator also stressed that forfeiting the area in favor of the government should not be enough, and cases should be filed against those responsible.
"We should not stop at forfeiting illegally reclaimed (parts of the) lake. Those responsible should be held accountable," he said.
