Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson over the weekend stressed the need for the investigation into anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects to be deliberate, methodical and thorough – and free from obstruction – as he rejected Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s characterization of the probe as a “striptease” without evidence.
Lacson said Cayetano’s remarks only exposed his ignorance of how investigations into complex corruption cases, including those involving infrastructure projects in Taguig City, are conducted.
In Filipino: Lacson: Imbestigasyon sa Flood Control, Dapat Masusi, Hindi Minamadali, at Walang Pagharang
“It only proves Sen Cayetano’s 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,” he said in a post on X late Saturday, referring to Cayetano’s “striptease” characterization.
Cayetano had insisted in a social media livestream that Lacson’s revelations on the anomalous projects in Taguig and the possible irregularities behind it are “like a striptease” with no real evidence.
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 Office of the Ombudsman has since launched a fact-finding investigation into the allegations involving the projects in Taguig.
Lacson, a veteran investigator both as a law enforcer and legislator, also stressed the importance of going where the evidence leads, instead of obstructing it.
This was after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla narrated in his radio program Saturday how Taguig City Hall personnel tried to prevent an Ombudsman team from conducting its investigation Friday.
Remulla said city hall personnel tried to argue with Ombudsman investigators and prevent them from flying a drone to take photographs of the area. Police personnel detailed to the Ombudsman team subsequently arrested the City Hall personnel involved, Remulla said.
“Kahapon meron kaming investigator, sinasaway. Sinasaway sila, kahit nagpakilalang taga-Office of the Ombudsman, sinasaway pa rin, ayaw silang patrabahuhin. Kasi ang drone, paliliparin ang drone para kumuha ng pictures, ayaw sila paliparin. Ang sinasabay nila, pulis na detailed sa amin, e di pinapulis namin (On Friday, our investigators were being obstructed by the City Hall personnel. Even when the investigators identified themselves as being from my office, they refused to let them do their work. But my team had police personnel detailed to them, and they dealt with the city hall personnel),” Remulla said in his program on DZRH.
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Lacson: Imbestigasyon sa Flood Control, Dapat Masusi, Hindi Minamadali, at Walang Pagharang
Binigyang-diin ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong weekend na kailangang maging maingat, sistematiko at masusi — at malaya sa anumang pagharang o panghihimasok — ang imbestigasyon sa mga maanomalyang flood control at iba pang infrastructure projects, kasabay ng pagsopla niya sa paglalarawan ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano sa imbestigasyon bilang isang “striptease” na walang ebidensya.
Ani Lacson, ibinuking ni Cayetano ang sarili niyang kamangmangan sa kung paano isinasagawa ang mga imbestigasyon sa mga komplikadong kaso ng korapsyon, kabilang ang mga may kinalaman sa infrastructure projects sa Taguig City.
“It only proves Sen Cayetano’s 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,” aniya sa isang post sa X nitong Sabado ng gabi, bilang tugon sa paglalarawan ni Cayetano sa imbestigasyon bilang isang “striptease.”
Iginiit ni Cayetano sa isang social media livestream na ang mga ibinubunyag ni Lacson hinggil sa mga maanomalyang proyekto sa Taguig at mga posibleng iregularidad sa mga ito ay “like a striptease” na walang tunay na ebidensya.
Pormal nang isinumite ni 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 projects.
Nagsagawa na ang Office of the Ombudsman ng fact-finding investigation hinggil sa mga alegasyon na may kinalaman sa mga proyekto sa Taguig.
Bilang isang beteranong imbestigador bilang law enforcer at mambabatas, binigyang-diin din ni Lacson ang kahalagahan ng pagsunod sa kung saan patutungo ang ebidensya, sa halip na ito ay hadlangan.
Ito ay matapos isalaysay ni Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla sa kanyang radio program nitong Sabado kung paano sinubukan ng mga tauhan ng Taguig City Hall na pigilan ang isang team ng Ombudsman sa pagsasagawa ng imbestigasyon nito noong Biyernes.
Ani Remulla, sinuway ng mga tauhan ng City Hall sa mga imbestigador ng Ombudsman at sinubukang pigilan silang magpalipad ng drone upang kumuha ng mga larawan sa lugar. Kasunod nito, inaresto ng mga police personnel na naka-detail sa Ombudsman team ang mga tauhan ng City Hall na sangkot sa insidente, ayon kay Remulla.
“Kahapon meron kaming investigator, sinasaway. Sinasaway sila, kahit nagpakilalang taga-Office of the Ombudsman, sinasaway pa rin, ayaw silang patrabahuhin. Kasi ang drone, paliliparin ang drone para kumuha ng pictures, ayaw sila paliparin. Ang sinasabay nila, pulis na detailed sa amin, e di pinapulis namin,” ani Remulla sa kanyang programa sa DZRH.
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