Cayetano tells Lacson: Specify Taguig ‘ghost’ projects

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday challenged Sen. Panfilo Lacson to identify the specific infrastructure projects behind his allegations of irregularities in Taguig, as he maintained that, to his knowledge, there were no ghost projects in the city.

“E, alin project nga yun? Alin project yun?” (Which project is that? Which project are you referring to?”) Cayetano said in an ambush interview hours ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona).

Cayetano was responding to Lacson’s series of posts on X about allegedly anomalous slope protection and drainage projects funded under the 2025 national budget.

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“You cannot respond to an allegation if you don’t know what the allegation is,” he added, speaking Filipino.

Lacson has been posting online findings on what he called “Taguig ghost infra projects,” including alleged duplicate appropriations and separate projects that purportedly used the same photograph for billing.

On July 18, Lacson said that of P6.79 billion in what he described as Cayetano’s “budget insertions” under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, P6.715 billion had already been spent.

“Out of his P6.79B budget insertions under the 2025 GAA, 68 out of the 70 projects were implemented. So, only 2 projects, equivalent to around P75M are left unreleased or unobligated. In short, a total of P6.715B ang nagastos,” Lacson posted on X.

“While you do the math, we will keep digging,” he added.

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Asked about the P6.79-billion figure, Cayetano said he was prepared to respond but wanted Lacson to specify the projects, amounts and basis for linking them to him.

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“If you’re in the minority, it’s called an insertion. If you’re in the majority, it’s called an amendment. When you’re in the majority, any senator can have an amendment. I will answer that in the proper forum and at the proper time, even in front of you,” Cayetano said in Filipino.

“But I want him to lay out exactly what he is alleging—how much, where, and so on. Is he saying that just because it’s in the budget and it’s in Taguig, I was the one who put it there?” he added.

Lacson flags duplicate projects, billing photos

Lacson’s allegations became more specific in subsequent posts. On July 22, he said his team had initially documented at least two case studies involving P2.085 billion worth of slope protection and drainage projects. He later raised the amount to P2.385 billion after finding three additional P100-million projects.

“Two items appear to be double appropriations, involving two (2)-P100M for the same slope protection project. One of the two must be ghost,” Lacson wrote.

On July 26, Lacson alleged that two different projects, with separate appropriations, locations, technical descriptions and contractors, used the same photograph for billing. He said both had already been billed and collected.

He also cited “one slope protection project, one location, one technical description” that allegedly received two separate budget appropriations, which he said were both billed and collected.

“Are these not criminal acts?” Lacson wrote.

READ: Lacson posts update on ‘ghost’ project search

In a July 27 update, Lacson said more similar cases had been found and that the evidence, including what he described as “proof of the money trail,” would be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

‘To my knowledge, walang ghost project’

Cayetano said he was neither a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official nor an engineer, although as a Taguig resident and official, he said he had monitored projects in the city as much as he could.

“Sabi ko, to my knowledge, [there are no] ghost projects. I’ve said that again and again,” Cayetano said.

“I’m not the secretary of DPWH. I’m not the regional director. I’m not an engineer. But of course, [I’m from Taguig]. So as much as I can [I keep an eye on things]. It’s on the record.”

He said he had previously pursued questionable contractors and officials and would also face Lacson’s allegations.

“So marami kaming nakalaban sa Taguig, maraming natanggal, whether sa local government, sa national government, contractor. So maaring yun yung mga nagsusumbong. So i-verify lang nila mabuti. Pero haharapin namin yun,” Cayetano said.

(So we’ve made many enemies in Taguig, and many people have been removed, whether from the local government, the national government, or among contractors. So perhaps they’re the ones making these complaints. They should just verify them carefully. But we will face the allegations.)

He also questioned why Taguig appeared to be singled out, saying investigations into questionable infrastructure should cover other areas as well.

“When they brought up Discaya, I said, investigate everything—Pasig, Baguio, the entire Philippines. It’s been a year, and there’s still no report. Then after a year, suddenly it’s Taguig. Right?” he said in Filipino.

“So we cannot just remain silent. If the intention is to silence us, sorry,” he added. /jpv