The “ghost hunt” that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano mocked has turned up numerous suspected “ghost” slope protection and flood mitigation projects along the Taguig River that the Office of the Ombudsman is now investigating, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson noted Cayetano’s latest social media post insinuating that the investigation into anomalous projects in Taguig was a “ghost hunt” was “true” – but not in the way Cayetano meant it.

In Filipino: Lacson: ‘Ghost Hunt’ na Hirit ni Cayetano, May Totoong ‘Ghost Projects’ na Natuklasan – at Iniimbestiga na ng Ombudsman

“True. Ang dami palang ‘multo’ na slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River. The Ombudsman is now investigating. The illegal reclamation is a separate case that they are also looking into, pero hinarang sila ng taga city hall kaya pinahuli sa SAF kahapon,” he said in a post on X.

(True. It turned out that there were so many ‘ghost’ slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River. The Ombudsman is now investigating. The illegal reclamation is a separate case that they are also looking into, but its personnel were blocked by Taguig City Hall personnel who were arrested by the Philippine National Police Special Action Force Friday.)

Cayetano, in his latest livestream Friday, had likened Lacson’s efforts to probe anomalous infrastructure in Taguig to “naghahanap ng multo (a ghost hunt).”

Lacson and his team have formally submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman at least 45 case studies backed by official documents detailing “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects.

The case studies include billing anomalies involving the use of duplicate or tampered photographs across different contractors to falsely claim project progress and justify payments. In one case involving two projects along the Taguig River, the projects were built in consecutive years by the same contractor but appeared to overlap at exactly the same location. Another project had no supporting records, raising questions about whether the project existed at all.

Records also showed deceptive project classifications in which land reclamation activities were presented as flood control projects. In at least one project, full payouts were disbursed using fabricated billing documents for a then-nonexistent project located on illegally reclaimed land.

After Lacson and his staff submitted the evidence they had gathered to the Office of the Ombudsman, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office has started to look into the allegations of corruption in infrastructure projects in Taguig City.

On Friday, Lacson cited information showing Taguig City government personnel were arrested by police after they tried to prevent Office of the Ombudsman investigators in Taguig City.

He described the arrest as “Astang astig, nakakita ng katapat (trying to act tough then meeting their match).”

ASTANG ASTIG, NAKAKITA NG KATAPAT:
Personnel of the Taguig City Public Order and Safety Office were arrested by the PNP after they tried to prevent the Ombudsman investigators from conducting an investigation in the Laguna Lake reclamation area.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) September 4, 2026

Friday’s incident was not the first reported case of harassment. Lacson had earlier cited reports that officials of agencies, including the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), had been harassed while taking action on reclamation activities in the area.

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Lacson: ‘Ghost Hunt’ na Hirit ni Cayetano, May Totoong ‘Ghost Projects’ na Natuklasan – at Iniimbestiga na ng Ombudsman

Ang “ghost hunt” na hirit ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano tungkol sa paghanap ng maanomalyang proyekto sa Taguig City ay humantong sa “totoong” ghost slope protection at flood mitigation projects sa kahabaan ng Taguig River na iniimbestigahan na ngayon ng Office of the Ombudsman, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado.

Diin ni Lacson, totoo nga ang ipinahihiwatig sa pinakahuling social media post ni Cayetano na “ghost hunt” ang imbestigasyon sa mga maanomalyang proyekto sa Taguig — pero hindi sa paraang ibig sabihin ni Cayetano.

“True. Ang dami palang ‘multo’ na slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River. The Ombudsman is now investigating. The illegal reclamation is a separate case that they are also looking into, pero hinarang sila ng taga city hall kaya pinahuli sa SAF kahapon,” aniya sa isang post sa X.

Sa kanyang pinakahuling livestream nitong Biyernes, itinulad ni Cayetano sa “naghahanap ng multo” ang pagsisikap ni Lacson na imbestigahan ang mga maanomalyang imprastraktura sa Taguig.

Pormal nang isinumite nina Lacson at ng kanyang team sa Office of the Ombudsman ang hindi bababa sa 45 case studies, kalakip ang mga opisyal na dokumento, na naglalahad ng “systemic anomalies” sa mga flood control infrastructure project.

Kabilang sa mga case study ang mga anomalya sa billing, kabilang ang paggamit ng magkakapareho o dinuktor mga litrato ng iba’t ibang contractor upang palabasing may progreso ang mga proyekto para makasingil. Sa isang kaso na kinasasangkutan ng dalawang proyekto sa kahabaan ng Taguig River, itinayo ang mga ito sa magkasunod na taon ng iisang contractor ngunit lumilitaw na nagtutugma sa eksaktong parehong lokasyon. Ang isa pang proyekto ay walang supporting records, kaya nagdudulot ng matinding pagdududa kung umiral nga ba ito.

Ipinakita rin sa mga rekord ang mapanlinlang na project classification kung saan iniharap bilang flood control projects ang mga aktibidad na reclamation sa lupa. Sa isang proyekto, buong halaga ng mga bayad ang nailabas gamit ang mga pekeng billing document para sa isang proyektong hindi pa umiiral noon at matatagpuan sa ilegal na ni-reclaim na lupa.

Sa isang kaso, buong-buo nang nabayaran ang isang proyektong hindi pa naman umiiral noon at matatagpuan sa ilegal na ni-reclaim na lupa, batay umano sa mga pekeng billing document.

Matapos isumite nina Lacson at ng kanyang staff sa Office of the Ombudsman ang mga ebidensyang kanilang nakalap, sinabi ni Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla na sinimulan na ng kanyang tanggapan ang pagtingin sa mga alegasyon ng korapsyon kaugnay ng mga infrastructure project sa Taguig City.

Noong Biyernes, binanggit ni Lacson ang impormasyong nagsasabing inaresto ng mga pulis ang ilang personnel ng Taguig City government matapos umano nilang tangkaing pigilan ang mga imbestigador ng Office of the Ombudsman sa kanilang pagsasagawa ng imbestigasyon sa Taguig City.

Inilarawan niya ang pagkakaaresto sa mga ito bilang “Astang astig, nakakita ng katapat.”

Hindi ito ang unang naiulat na insidente ng pangha-harass. Nauna nang binanggit ni Lacson ang mga ulat na hinarass umano ang mga opisyal ng ilang ahensya ng gobyerno, kabilang ang Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), habang kumikilos ang mga ito laban sa mga reclamation activity sa lugar.

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