Senators Clash Over Flood Control Probe Pace, Lacson Cautions Against Hasty Investigation

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson fired back at Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, saying the investigation of flood control anomalies must be thorough and not hasty or sloppy. This was Lacson’s response to Cayetano’s remark likening the former’s gradual release of allegations against him to a “striptease” without evidence. READ: Cayetano on Lacson’s alleged slow release of charges: It’s like striptease In a post on X on Saturday, Lacson said Cayetano’s comment shows his “ignorance of how an investigation of flood control anomalies and other sophisticated corruption cases works.” “It must be deliberate, methodical and thorough; not hasty nor sloppy,” Lacson emphasized. In another recent Facebook livestream, Cayetano made the remarks after Lacson said that his office’s probe into alleged irregularities in flood control and reclamation projects in Taguig City was making the minority leader “quake while quacking.” Cayetano maintained that there are no ghost projects in Taguig, and told Lacson that he is just “making up a story.” He also dared the majority senator to end the “trial by publicity” by allowing the Office of the Ombudsman to do its job. READ: DPWH stops Taguig reclamation projects The two senators’ word war continued after Lacson’s earlier pronouncement that his office discovered alleged anomalies in flood control and reclamation projects in Taguig City. He recently said at least P3.713 billion in public funds may have been wasted on flood control and multipurpose projects in reclamation areas on the Laguna de Bay side in Taguig City. Last Sunday, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said his agency issued cease-and-desist orders for alleged illegal reclamation projects in the city. /gsg