Ping pushes accountability in Taguig reclamation

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday called for immediate accountability over dozens of allegedly illegal reclamation projects in the Taguig portion of Laguna de Bay, accusing Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano of harassing state regulators to protect the anomalous multimillion-peso contracts.

According to Lacson, his team has already counted at least 32 “grossly anomalous” infrastructure projects in the area that were passed off as flood mitigation efforts, which failed to actually address the flooding problem.

“The Cayetanos have disguised these unabated and illegal reclamation operations in the Taguig side of Laguna Lake as flood control and mitigation projects for several years now, using their power and influence to harass officials of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), Laguna Lake Development Authority and other agencies tasked to protect the lake,” the senator said.

In a post on X yesterday, Lacson cited a recent 24 Oras report detailing how the local government bypassed mandatory environmental procedures.

Lacson, a vice chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, revealed that officials from the PRA met with him earlier this week to disclose intimidation tactics allegedly used by Cayetano to suppress investigations into the Taguig lakeside developments.

He said the officials claimed Cayetano specifically targeted them late last year when the agency’s budget was up for approval.

According to the 24 Oras report, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had already flagged the Taguig flood control projects as early as October 2025.

Implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, the sites feature several big-ticket contracts funded under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Apart from these were two flood mitigation projects costing a total of over P283.7 million secured by Dahl Construction Corp. and a separate P49.9-million multipurpose building at the Lakeshore Complex reclamation site.

Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Leopoldo Parumog confirmed that the Taguig city government failed to coordinate with their agency.

Meanwhile, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee will yield to the Office of the Ombudsman the investigation into the multibillion-peso flood control scandal to avoid interference and speed up the proceedings.

Panel chairman Sen. Erwin Tulfo said this after he and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian met with Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla at the anti-graft body’s office in Quezon City.

Tulfo cited the ongoing investigations that the ombudsman is already undertaking which involve several politicians in Congress.

“It may get ruined if we meddle any further. We don’t want to do that,” he told reporters after the meeting. — Daphne Galvez

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