SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has accused Sen. Panfilo Lacson of threatening to sue contractors for plunder to pressure them into signing affidavits concerning alleged irregularities in projects in the Laguna Lakeshore area in Taguig City.
In a Facebook livestream on Saturday, Cayetano said four of the contractors implicated in the controversy refused to sign the affidavits, and two agreed to do so.
He said Lacson warned the four holdouts they could face plunder charges if they refused to sign.
“Who wouldn’t be afraid of plunder charges now, especially given the people Sen. Lacson has been pointing to?” Cayetano said.
He also alleged that Lacson, his staff and lawyers associated with them had prepared affidavits and were pressuring contractors to sign them.
He did not identify the contractors or present copies of the affidavits during the livestream.
“Not everyone has the courage, stamina, patience or guts to stand up for what is right, especially when going up against very high-ranking officials in this highly charged atmosphere. But having said that, how can our country change?” he said.
Cayetano linked the dispute to broader investigations into alleged irregularities in government infrastructure and flood-control projects.
He cited Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who earlier said that he found no ghost projects in the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig.
Cayetano also questioned the activities of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the Public Reclamation Authority (PRA) in areas along the lake in Rizal and Laguna, contrasting them with projects in Taguig.
He urged government personnel involved in the controversy to focus on the evidence and their responsibilities rather than take sides.
“This is not about following Senator Lacson or Senator Alan. No. Do what is right,” he said.
In response, Lacson accused Cayetano of trying to divert attention from alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects and illegal reclamation in Taguig.
In a post on X on Saturday night, Lacson challenged Cayetano to identify the contractors he claimed had been threatened.
“Spinning tales betrays panic but like guilt, it will never go away,” Lacson said.
He and his team have submitted at least 45 case studies, backed by official documents, to the Office of the Ombudsman detailing alleged irregularities in flood-control infrastructure projects in Taguig.
The submissions prompted a fact-finding investigation by the anti-graft body.
Lacson also recently posted on X an unedited video from a composite inspection team documenting what he described as continued illegal reclamation on the Taguig side of Laguna Lake.
In an earlier post, Lacson accused Cayetano of making claims of a politically motivated demolition job, fake news and trial by publicity as evidence of alleged corruption in Taguig emerged.
