SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Panfilo Lacson traded barbs anew over the flood control probe, with Cayetano accusing Lacson of interfering in investigations and Lacson hitting back that he was merely following the evidence.
In a Facebook livestream, Cayetano sarcastically referred to Lacson as “Chief Justice Lacson,” “Prosecutor Lacson” and “DOJ Lacson,” saying the senator was acting as though he had authority over several investigations.
“Senator Lacson has become Chief Justice Lacson, Prosecutor Lacson, DOJ (Department of Justice) Lacson, Secretary Lacson — he is everything. He is the one calling the shots at the LLDA (Laguna Lake Development Authority), the Blue Ribbon Committee, the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the PRA (Philippine Reclamation Authority),” Cayetano said.
His remarks came amid a dispute over Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s statements on alleged ghost projects in Taguig City, the Cayetanos’ political bailiwick.
Cayetano said he had been accused of influencing Dizon’s findings because of their previous working relationship, but pointed out that Lacson was also close to the Public Works secretary.
He said Dizon had initially told him that he found no ghost projects in Taguig but later clarified that the investigation remained ongoing and that the alleged irregularities still needed further validation.
“Immediately, it was given a political color and malicious intent — that because I am close to Secretary Vince Dizon, we supposedly cooked up, or the two of us cooked up, his statement that there were no ghost projects in Taguig,” Cayetano said.
“First, let me clarify that Senator Ping Lacson is very close to Secretary Dizon,” he added.
Cayetano also questioned why Lacson appeared to have access to investigation reports that he said Dizon had not provided to him.
“I haven’t received a single document from Secretary Dizon. Yet he said everything was open to everyone,” he said.
Cayetano further alleged that Lacson had repeatedly threatened to have him jailed.
“Senator Lacson has repeatedly said, in different ways, ‘I will have him jailed.’ As far as Senator Lacson is concerned, whenever something happens in Taguig, Alan Cayetano is automatically at fault,” he said.
Cayetano alleged that Lacson’s political ambitions may have contributed to their dispute, saying the senator was seeking the presidency.
Lacson, for his part, said on X he would take Cayetano’s descriptions as a compliment if they came from someone credible.
Lacson said Cayetano’s attempt to portray him as an investigator and prosecutor reflected his persistence in raising questions and gathering evidence on alleged wrongdoing.
He maintained that his actions were not personal and that he was guided by evidence.
“This is not personal. If you see an anomaly, would you just close your eyes to it?” Lacson said in an interview on radio DZMM on Tuesday.
Lacson said anomalies he found in flood control projects last year prompted him to dig deeper, eventually leading him to deliver two privilege speeches on alleged corruption involving projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.
As chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee at the time, Lacson said hearings uncovered additional evidence that eventually led to cases against several individuals.
“These have cascaded into cases now, whether before the Sandiganbayan or the Ombudsman,” he said.
Lacson said he would continue to answer Cayetano’s allegations with documents and other evidence.
“I’m just responding. Whenever he speaks, I respond with the receipts,” he said. Lacson and his team earlier submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman at least 45 case studies supported by official documents concerning alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Taguig. The Ombudsman subsequently launched a fact-finding investigation into the allegations.
Lacson’s team also submitted evidence concerning alleged illegal reclamation and infrastructure projects on the Taguig side of Laguna Lake. CATHERINE VALENTE
