MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said some contractors may not be willing to participate in the bidding of projects due to lower costs of construction materials.
The Senate president pro tempore said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should be prepared to deal with such scenarios amid the reforms put in place in the 2026 P6.793 trillion national budget.
He said some contractors were used to huge profits because of their early advances to some legislators and DPWH and other officials, after the National Expenditure Program was finalized.
“The DPWH should anticipate how to deal with contractors ‘unwilling’ to participate in the bidding of projects due to reduced cost of construction materials," Lacson said.
"Their early advances to legislators after the NEP was finalized will not help obviate a looming infrastructure crisis,” the senator wrote on X.
During the hearings of the Blue Ribbon Committee on "ghost" flood control projects which he presided over, as well as his scrutiny of the current and past national budgets, Lacson said he "uncovered an elaborate system of kickbacks involving flood control and other infrastructure projects."
He said the setup was shown to benefit some contractors, lawmakers and officials, including those from the DPWH. He bared details of the brazen kickbacks in two privilege speeches in 2025.
