SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called on the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) to clarify what he described as seemingly uneven enforcement of reclamation rules, citing its cease-and-desist order against projects in Taguig City, while allowing a much larger Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project in Laguna Lake to proceed under an interagency coordination arrangement.
During the PRA's budget briefing on Tuesday, Cayetano pointed out that both projects involved the same implementing agency but appeared to be receiving different treatment.
“I’m trying to see if you are doing selective justice here. You have two projects: one is more than ten times bigger, one is ten times smaller, same proponent. One is even more useful than the other,” he said.
Cayetano was referring to the Laguna Lake Road Network (LLRN), a much larger DPWH project involving road construction and reclamation along Laguna Lake.
PRA officials said the DPWH had committed to realign and redesign the project.
However, the senator asked why construction was allowed to continue despite the lack of required studies.
“The DPWH project is currently ongoing and is enormous compared to the Taguig project. It did not submit a feasibility study [for that project] to you, nor did it submit an environmental study, so you will ignore that? Why?” Cayetano asked PRA officials.
Cayetano asked about PRA's claim that it had issued a show-cause order to Taguig City, saying the letter it issued merely requested copies of land titles.
He argued that Taguig was not the repository of the requested records and that the DPWH, as project proponent, should be responsible for coordinating the necessary documents.
Cayetano challenged PRA's enforcement of reclamation rules in other project activities, particularly those areas within the Laguna Lake.
“Let’s not get this wrong. I support the LLRN. I support the Pasig River project; Malacañang is doing a very good job on that. This is what I want to point out: when it comes to the Taguig Lakeshore, you scrutinize everything, but when it comes to the Pasig River [project], you don’t. When it comes to other parts of Laguna Lake, you don’t," he said.
In August, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the DPWH had issued cease-and-desist orders against alleged illegal reclamation projects in Taguig City upon the directive of the Office of the President through the PRA.
The infrastructure and reclamation projects in Taguig were placed under the spotlight this year after Sen. Panfilo Lacson initiated a probe on Cayetano’s bailiwick amid a feud between the two.
