Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s order for a lifestyle check on 26 “cong-tractors,” or House members allegedly involved as contractors in government projects.
Lacson said it was “well and good” that the Ombudsman had started gathering evidence on the supposed “cong-tractors,” noting the issue clearly involves conflict of interest.
“It is a good development. If the Ombudsman has names and proof, it should investigate them because that is a clear conflict of interest. Imagine, you insert projects in the budget for projects where you are the contractor,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.
In Filipino: Lifestyle Check sa 26 ‘Cong-tractors,’ Welcome kay Lacson
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano was quoted in reports as saying Thursday that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered lifestyle checks on the 26 “cong-tractors.”
Clavano said this was based on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) obtained by the Ombudsman’s office.
Lacson also recalled that in two privilege speeches on anomalous flood control projects last year, he disclosed details of several ghost projects in Bulacan.
“There were so many ghost projects there. Did I not bare in two privilege speeches the ghost projects in Bulacan?” he said.
He added that based on the testimonies of former Department of Public Works and Highways officials including Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo, ex-Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co poured in P35 billion into projects in Bulacan alone from 2022 to 2025.
“Alcantara said that since Bulacan was bloated with projects, he was told to look for other provinces and contact district engineers there because the pouring of funds into Bulacan would become too obvious. That’s why there were also anomalous flood control projects in neighboring provinces like Tarlac,” he said.
“Imagine, just one congressman poured in P35 billion in Bulacan. Yet the charge Co now faces is in relation to a project in Naujan, Mindoro Oriental. We’re not yet talking about Bulacan,” he added.
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Lifestyle Check sa 26 ‘Cong-tractors,’ Welcome kay Lacson
Welcome kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang utos ng Office of the Ombudsman na magsagawa ng lifestyle check sa 26 “cong-tractors,” o mga miyembro ng Kamara na umano’y sangkot bilang mga kontratista sa mga proyekto ng pamahalaan.
Sinabi ni Lacson na “well and good” ang pagsisimula ng Ombudsman sa pangangalap ng ebidensya laban sa mga nasabing “cong-tractors,” at binigyang-diin na malinaw na may isyu ng conflict of interest dito.
“Magandang development yan. Kung may pangalan sila, meron silang pruweba, dapat talagang imbestigahan kasi malinaw na conflict of interest yan. Ikaw nag-insert, ikaw din contractor,” aniya sa panayam sa DZBB radio nitong Biyernes.
Sinabi ni Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano noong Huwebes na iniutos ni Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla ang lifestyle checks sa 26 “cong-tractors.”
Ani Clavano, nakabatay ito sa kanilang Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) na nakuha ng tanggapan ng Ombudsman.
Binalikan din ni Lacson na sa kanyang dalawang privilege speeches noong nakaraang taon hinggil sa mga maanomalyang proyekto sa flood control, inilantad niya ang detalye ng ilang “ghost projects” sa Bulacan.
“Ang daming ghost doon. Di ba nailabas ko sa aking dalawang privilege speeches, katakot takot din ang ghost project sa Bulacan?” aniya.
Dagdag niya na batay sa testimonya ng mga dating opisyal ng Department of Public Works and Highways, kabilang sina Henry Alcantara at Roberto Bernardo, umabot sa P35 bilyon ang ipinasok ni dating Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co sa mga proyekto sa Bulacan lamang mula 2022 hanggang 2025.
“Katunayan sinabi pa ni Alcantara, dahil sobra-sobra na, lobong-lobo na sa Bulacan, pinahanap siya ng ibang probinsya, kaya umapaw siya hanggang Tarlac. Kumontak siya ng mga district engineers doon na pwedeng paglagakan ng pondo kasi nga apaw sa Bulacan mahahalata na,” aniya.
“Imagine just one congressman maglagay ng P35 billion sa Bulacan pa lang. Ang kaso ni Co, sa Naujan sa Mindoro Oriental pa lang yan. Wala pang kaso sa Bulacan,” dagdag niya.
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