Photos, Statements

Lacson to DPWH Chief: Explain How Taguig Project Has DPWH-Geotagged Photos in Leyte

Since when has Taguig been located in Leyte?

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson directed this question Sunday at Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon as he cited a finding in the agency’s own report that contradicts his claim that there are no ghost projects in Taguig.

In posts on his X account, Lacson cited a report on a Taguig project with Contract ID 220B0106, whose geotagged photographs attached to its billing reports contained coordinates “located approximately 600 kilometers away in LEYTE PROVINCE” and whose contractor is a firm owned by the Discayas.

In Filipino: Lacson sa DPWH Chief: Paki-Explain Kung Paano Nagkaroon ng DPWH-Geotagged Photos sa Leyte ang Proyekto sa Taguig

“Sec. Vince Dizon, please explain how this finding of your own team should not be flagged as a ghost project in Taguig. (Since when has Taguig been located in Leyte?)” Lacson said.

The finding Lacson cited states:

“Geotagged Photographs attached to Billing Reports contained coordinates pointing outside verified project limits. (e.g. metadata of Contract ID 220B0106 reflected coordinates located approximately 600 kilometers away in LEYTE PROVINCE.)”

Lacson also highlighted the project’s connection to St. Timothy Construction, a company owned by the Discayas, who have been linked to controversial flood control projects.

“To further highlight the red flag, Discaya’s St Timothy ang contractor (St. Timothy Construction is the contractor). What do you say about this, Sec?” he said.

Lacson also cited the project’s financial billing documents, which show that a 15% advance payment of ₱13,738,755.81 was released on June 23, 2022, with all the attached billing photographs bearing coordinates in Tacloban City, Leyte.

The first partial billing, amounting to ₱37.162 million, was dated July 27, 2022, but had no image attached. The second partial billing, amounting to ₱19.174 million and dated September 12, 2022, had attached images with no coordinates.

The third partial billing, amounting to ₱21.202 million and dated September 22, 2022, likewise had no coordinates in its attached images. The fourth and final billing, amounting to ₱18.960 million and dated February 22, 2023, also had attached images without coordinates.

Lacson noted that the DPWH inspection report likewise found that the coordinates indicated in the geotagged photographs attached to the Progress Billing and Final Billing “do not correspond with the actual project site verified during the inspection.”

On Saturday, Lacson said Dizon’s claim the previous day that there are no ghost projects in Taguig City appeared to contradict findings in the DPWH’s own site inspection reports.

Dizon made the claim during Friday’s subcommittee hearing on the DPWH’s proposed 2027 budget, after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano asked him whether there were ghost projects in Taguig, his bailiwick.

Lacson expressed sympathy for the DPWH’s site inspection engineers after their own boss contradicted their findings, adding Dizon’s memory may have been clouded by the “pressure” of work as the DPWH had turned over to Lacson’s Senate office the records of projects that were “nonexistent but reported as completed.”

He also cited the DPWH’s data stemming from its “Analysis of Potential Similar Billing Photographs from 2017-2025 of Taguig projects using AI-Based Image Similarity Detection Approach.” Of 15,523 images processed by the AI system, 1,079 pairs of images were flagged for high visual similarity.

Lacson and his team had submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman earlier at least 45 case studies detailing “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects in Taguig. The Ombudsman has since launched a fact-finding investigation on the matter.

*****

Lacson sa DPWH Chief: Paki-Explain Kung Paano Nagkaroon ng DPWH-Geotagged Photos sa Leyte ang Proyekto sa Taguig

Kailan pa napunta sa Leyte ang Taguig?

Ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, ito ang kailangang ipaliwanag ni Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, matapos lumabas sa mismong ulat ng ahensya ang detalyeng sumasalungat sa pahayag nitong walang ghost projects sa Taguig.

Sa mga post sa kanyang X account nitong Linggo, binanggit ni Lacson ang ulat tungkol sa isang proyekto sa Taguig na may Contract ID 220B0106, kung saan ang mga geotagged na litrato na kalakip ng billing reports ay may coordinates na “located approximately 600 kilometers away in LEYTE PROVINCE,” habang ang contractor nito ay isang kumpanyang pagmamay-ari ng pamilyang Discaya.

“Sec. Vince Dizon, please explain how this finding of your own team should not be flagged as a ghost project in Taguig. (Since when has Taguig been located in Leyte?)” ani Lacson.

Nakasaad sa finding na tinukoy ni Lacson na:

“Geotagged Photographs attached to Billing Reports contained coordinates pointing outside verified project limits. (e.g. metadata of Contract ID 220B0106 reflected coordinates located approximately 600 kilometers away in LEYTE PROVINCE.)”

Binigyang diin din ni Lacson ang koneksyon ng proyekto sa St. Timothy Construction, isang kumpanyang pag-aari ng mga Discaya na naiugnay sa mga kontrobersyal na flood control project.

“To further highlight the red flag, Discaya’s St Timothy ang contractor. What do you say about this, Sec?” ani Lacson.

Binanggit din ni Lacson ang mga financial billing document ng proyekto, na nagpapakitang inilabas noong Hunyo 23, 2022 ang 15% advance payment na ₱13,738,755.81, kung saan ang lahat ng kalakip na billing photographs ay may coordinates sa Tacloban City, Leyte.

Ang unang partial billing na nagkakahalaga ng ₱37.162 milyon ay may petsang Hulyo 27, 2022 ngunit walang kalakip na larawan. Ang ikalawang partial billing na nagkakahalaga ng ₱19.174 milyon at may petsang Setyembre 12, 2022 ay may mga kalakip na larawan ngunit walang coordinates.

Ang ikatlong partial billing na nagkakahalaga ng ₱21.202 milyon at may petsang Setyembre 22, 2022 ay gayundin na walang coordinates ang mga kalakip na larawan. Ang ikaapat at huling billing na nagkakahalaga ng ₱18.960 milyon at may petsang Pebrero 22, 2023 ay mayroon ding mga kalakip na larawang walang coordinates.

Napansin ni Lacson na ayon din sa DPWH inspection report, ang mga coordinates na nakasaad sa geotagged photographs na kalakip ng Progress Billing at Final Billing ay hindi tumutugma sa aktwal na lugar ng proyekto na bineripika ng sinagawang inspeksyon.

Noong Sabado, sinabi ni Lacson na ang pahayag ni Dizon noong Biyernes na walang ghost projects sa Taguig City ay tila salungat sa mga natuklasan sa sariling site inspection reports ng DPWH.

Ginawa ni Dizon ang pahayag sa subcommittee hearing sa panukalang 2027 budget ng DPWH, matapos siyang tanungin ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano kung may ghost projects sa Taguig na balwarte niya.

Nagpahayag din si Lacson ng pakikiramay sa mga site inspection engineer ng DPWH matapos aniyang salungatin ng sarili nilang boss ang kanilang mga natuklasan. Dagdag niya, maaaring nalimutan ni Dizon ang mga ito dahil sa “pressure” ng trabaho, dahil ipinasa na ng DPWH sa Senate office ni Lacson ang mga rekord ng mga proyektong “nonexistent but reported as completed.”

Binanggit din ni Lacson ang datos ng DPWH mula sa “Analysis of Potential Similar Billing Photographs from 2017-2025 of Taguig projects using AI-Based Image Similarity Detection Approach.” Sa 15,523 larawang isinailalim sa AI system, 1,079 pares ng mga larawan ang na-flag dahil sa mataas na visual similarity.

Nauna nang nagsumite sina Lacson at ang kanyang team sa Office of the Ombudsman ng hindi bababa sa 45 case studies na nagdedetalye ng “systemic anomalies” sa mga flood control infrastructure project sa Taguig. Simula noon ay nagsagawa na ang Ombudsman ng fact-finding investigation kaugnay nito.

*****

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.