Lacson Warns DPWH Secretary of Possible Criminal Liability Over Taguig Project Cover-Up

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Monday warned Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon that any attempt to cover up anomalies in infrastructure projects in Taguig City could expose those involved to possible criminal liability.

Lacson said Dizon should come clean on the red flags found by the DPWH’s own inspection teams that had findings in some 68 infrastructure projects in Taguig – including the slope protection project along Taguig River whose billing photos had geotagged coordinates pointing to Leyte.

In Filipino: Lacson, Nagbabala sa DPWH Secretary sa Posibleng Sabit sa Pag-Cover-Up sa Maanomalyang Proyekto sa Taguig

“Sinabi ko sa kanya, huwag nyo na itanggi ito kasi nai-submit ko na rin ito sa Ombudsman. Nasa Ombudsman na yan. Mapapahamak kayo pagka nagtakip pa kayo diyan. Magpakatotoo na lang tayo pare-pareho (I told him not to deny the existence of ghost projects because we already submitted the appropriate records to the Ombudsman. You will get into trouble if you try to cover up. Let’s all just come clean on the issue),” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.

Lacson said Dizon called him over the weekend after he disclosed details of the “Slope Protection along Taguig River Project” whose geotagged photos attached to its billing reports contained coordinates pointing to Leyte province, some 600 km away from Taguig.

The project, identified by Contract ID 220B0106, had three locations in Tacloban City reflected in the geotagged photographs, Lacson said. Records showed that the DPWH paid St. Timothy Construction Corp., which he identified as owned by the Discaya family, some P96.5 million for the project.

Lacson said this project is not an isolated case but only the most brazen and telling, since there are several similar cases of highly questionable and suspected “ghost” projects in Taguig based on the site inspection reports.

“Yan lang ang hinighlight ko kasi masyadong brazen, kasi (ang photos nakaturo sa lugar na) 600 km away (I highlighted this project because it was so brazen, with the photos in the billing reports pointing to an area 600 kilometers away),” he said.

Also, Lacson said that while they are not yet concluding that the flagged projects are ghosts, it is not correct to conclude that there are no ghost projects in Taguig, based on the responses of Dizon and Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III to the questions raised by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano during last Friday’s hearing on the DPWH’s proposed 2027 budget.

“Hindi natin kino-conclude na ghost ito pero hindi rin nating pwedeng conclude na walang ghost sa Taguig. Isa lang yan. May project na verify nila, hindi nila makita ang proyekto kasi wala sa site, hindi na ma-establish kasi natakpan ng panibagong proyekto (We are not concluding that those flagged projects are ‘ghosts’ but it is also not correct to conclude that there are no ghost projects in Taguig. The project I described was one of many with findings. In some cases, the inspection teams could not verify the projects because they were covered up by newer projects),” he said.

During Dizon’s call, Lacson said, the secretary was “very apologetic” and claimed he had been “set up” when he told senators during last Friday’s Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the DPWH’s proposed 2027 budget that there were no ghost projects in Taguig.

In response, Lacson sent Dizon a video recording of the portion of the hearing where Dizon “clearly” said there were no ghost projects – followed by Undersecretary Bernabe’s claim that all 107 projects in Taguig “have accomplishments.”

Lacson said he was also informed Sunday that a media outfit attempting to verify records on the slope protection project through the DPWH website found the site “down.” He said that when he told Dizon about this, the website appeared to be back up.

Lacson said the issue was particularly troubling because the DPWH’s own inspection teams had found red flags in 68 projects in Taguig. Five DPWH teams composed of personnel from the Bureau of Quality and Safety, Bureau of Construction, Bureau of Research and Standards, and Bureau of Maintenance were sent to Taguig from July 23 to 25 to inspect projects there.

“Sabi ko mag-ingat kayo dito. Pag nagko-cover up kayo magiging criminally liable kayo. At the very least, pwede kayong maging accessory after the fact kasi coverup (I told him to be careful because whoever takes part in a cover-up will become criminally liable. At the very least, they will become accessories after the fact because of the coverup),” he told Dizon.

Also, Lacson said that last Friday, he learned from Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito that Dizon had gone to Cayetano’s Senate office before the subcommittee hearing on the DPWH budget started.

He said that at the time, he had a hectic schedule as he was chairing the foreign relations committee hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

“Tinanong ko si Sen JV, nasaan si Sec. Vince. Nandoon daw sa office ni Sen. Cayetano, naguusap sila (I asked Sen. Ejercito where Dizon was. I was told he was in Cayetano’s office, and that they were talking),” Lacson said.

Lacson said he did not expect the categorical denial from Dizon about ghost projects in Taguig. He said he had to defend his position especially because he was given the “receipts” of the projects.

He said he could not accept Dizon’s statement that there were no ghost projects “as of now,” noting that the DPWH’s own inspection reports were dated July 23 to 25.

“So ako naawa sa engineers nila. Kinontradict kayo ng sarili ninyong boss sa trabaho ninyo. Noong tumawag ni Sec. Vince sabi niya Sen. Ping nagulat ako sa Taguig na napunta sa Tacloban. Sabi ko nandiyan sa report nyo yan eh (I sympathize with the DPWH’s engineers who were contradicted by their own boss. When Dizon called me and told me he was surprised by my revelation on the Taguig project with photos in Leyte, I told him it was in the DPWH’s own report),” he said.

In the meantime, Lacson said he will continue to look into the irregularities in flood control and infrastructure projects, including those in Taguig.

He said he and his staff are currently looking into ghost projects that were covered up by new projects in the same areas, and “projects for hire” where the winning bidder would allow other contractors to work on projects and collect royalties.

Also, he said he will continue to answer insinuations with “receipts.”

“Ako naman, siguro naman na-establish ko ang aking credibility. Di ako nagsasalita nang walang resibo. Napaka-mindful ko pagdating sa fact-checking. Ayokong na-fact check ako at napapahiya ako. Di ako mag-e-expose nang di kumpleto ang resibo (I have established my credibility. I don’t talk without receipts. I am mindful of being fact-checked so I will not expose anything without the complete receipts),” he added.

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Lacson, Nagbabala sa DPWH Secretary sa Posibleng Sabit sa Pag-Cover-Up sa Maanomalyang Proyekto sa Taguig

Nagbabala si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Lunes kay Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon na maaaring maharap sa posibleng criminal liability ang sinumang sangkot sa pagtatakip sa mga anomalya sa mga infrastructure project sa Taguig City.

Ani Lacson, mas mabuting magsabi ng totoo si Dizon tungkol sa mga natuklasan mismo ng mga inspection team ng DPWH sa Taguig, kabilang ang isang slope protection project sa kahabaan ng Taguig River na ang mga litrato sa billing ay may geotagged coordinates na tumutukoy sa Leyte.

Sinabi ni Lacson na tinawagan siya ni Dizon nitong weekend matapos niyang ilahad ang mga detalye ng “Slope Protection along Taguig River Project,” na ang mga geotagged photo na kalakip ng billing reports ay may coordinates na tumutukoy sa Tacloban City, Leyte, na may layong humigit-kumulang 600 kilometro mula sa Taguig.

Ayon kay Lacson, tatlong lokasyon sa Tacloban City ang makikita sa geotagged photographs ng proyekto na may Contract ID 220B0106. Batay sa mga rekord, P96.5 milyon ang ibinayad ng DPWH para sa proyekto sa St. Timothy Construction Corp., na ayon kay Lacson ay pag-aari ng pamilya Discaya.

Diin ni Lacson, bagama’t hindi isolated ang proyektong ito, ito ang pinaka-“brazen” dahil marami ring ibang kwestyonable at suspected na ghost projects sa Taguig, base sa mga site inspection reports galing sa DPWH.

“Yan lang ang hinighlight ko kasi masyadong brazen, kasi (ang photos nakaturo sa lugar na) 600 km away,” aniya.

Dagdag pa ni Lacson, bagama’t hindi pa nila kinokonsiderang ghost projects ang mga na-flag na proyekto, hindi rin tama na sabihing walang ghost projects sa Taguig batay sa mga sagot nina Dizon at Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III sa mga tanong ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano sa pagdinig noong nakaraang Biyernes ukol sa panukalang 2027 budget ng DPWH.

Sinabi ni Lacson na “very apologetic” si Dizon sa kanilang pag-uusap at sinabing na-“set up” siya nang sabihin nito sa mga senador noong nakaraang Biyernes sa Senate finance subcommittee hearing sa panukalang 2027 budget ng DPWH na walang ghost projects sa Taguig.

Bilang tugon, ipinadala ni Lacson kay Dizon ang video recording ng bahagi ng hearing kung saan sinabi ni Dizon na walang ghost projects, na sinundan naman ng pahayag ni Undersecretary Bernabe na lahat ng 107 proyekto sa Taguig ay “may accomplishments.”

Sinabi ni Lacson na ipinaalam din sa kanya nitong Linggo na isang media outfit na nagtangkang mag-verify ng mga rekord tungkol sa Taguig slope protection project sa website ng DPWH ay nakitang pansamantalang hindi available ang site.

Matapos nito, aniya, nagbabala siya kay Dizon laban sa anumang pagtatangkang magtakip sa mga nasabing discrepancy.

“Sabi ko mag-ingat kayo dito. Pag nagko-cover up kayo magiging criminally liable kayo. At the very least, pwede kayong maging accessory after the fact kasi coverup,” aniya.

Sinabi ni Lacson na lalong nakababahala ang isyu dahil mismong mga inspection team ng DPWH ang nakakita ng red flags sa 68 proyekto sa Taguig.

Ayon sa kanya, limang DPWH team na binubuo ng mga tauhan mula sa Bureau of Quality and Safety, Bureau of Construction, Bureau of Research and Standards, at Bureau of Maintenance ang ipinadala sa Taguig noong Hulyo 23 hanggang 25 upang magsagawa ng inspeksyon sa mga proyekto roon.

Sinabi ni Lacson na isa lamang sa mga natuklasan sa mga inspeksyong ito ang Taguig project na may geotagged photographs sa Leyte.

Binanggit din niya na nalaman niya nitong nakaraang Biyernes mula kay Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito na nagtungo si Dizon sa tanggapan ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano sa Senado bago magsimula ang DPWH budget subcommittee hearing.

Abala noon si Lacson sa Commission on Appointments (CA), kung saan pinamumunuan niya ang hearing ng Committee on Foreign Relations, at kinailangan niyang bumalik doon bago magsimula ang DPWH hearing.

“Tinanong ko si Sen JV, nasaan si Sec. Vince. Nandoon daw sa office ni Sen. Cayetano, naguusap sila,” ani Lacson.

Sinabi ni Lacson na hindi niya inaasahan ang categorical denial ni Dizon tungkol sa mga ghost project sa Taguig, kaya kinailangan niyang ipagtanggol ang kanyang posisyon matapos makatanggap ng mga rekord mula sa DPWH.

Sinabi niyang hindi niya maaaring tanggapin ang pahayag ni Dizon na walang ghost projects “as of now,” dahil ang mga inspection report mismo ng DPWH ay may petsang Hulyo 23 hanggang 25.

“So ako naawa sa engineers nila. Kinontradict kayo ng sarili ninyong boss sa trabaho ninyo. Noong tumawag si Sec. Vince sabi niya, Sen. Ping, nagulat ako sa Taguig na napunta sa Tacloban. Sabi ko, nandiyan sa report nyo eh,” aniya.

Ani Lacson, naisumite na sa Office of the Ombudsman ang mga rekord kaugnay ng Taguig project.

Dagdag niya, ipagpapatuloy niya at ng kanyang staff ang pagbusisi sa iba pang iregularidad sa mga flood control at infrastructure project, kabilang ang mga proyekto sa Taguig.

Sinabi rin niyang sinusuri nila ang mga posibleng ghost project na tinakpan umano ng mga bagong proyekto sa parehong lugar.

Sinusuri rin nila ang tinatawag niyang “projects for hire,” kung saan ang winning bidder ay umano’y nagpapagawa ng proyekto sa ibang contractor kapalit ng royalty.

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