Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed on Thursday that at least 60 sitting congressmen also act as contractors for infrastructure projects in their own districts, raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest and widespread corruption in the implementation of government-funded programs.
“Noong 2022, pagsimula noong bagong kongreso noon, natanong ko yung isang kaibigan kong congressman, naging curious din ako…Sabi ko, ilan na ba kako ngayon yung sa bilang mo? Ilan na yung contractor dyan sa inyong batasan? Sabi niya, ang huling bilang ko sa ngayon, 67, pero alam ko meron pang iba,” Lacson said in an interview with DZRH Dos Por Dos.
“As of noon, nasa mga 67 na. As of 3 years ago. And still counting. Siguro ngayon, kasi yung iba na-encounter, mag-contractor na lang tayo. O kaya yung kamag-anak yung mag-handle ng kumpanya ng construction company para makamenos sila,” he added.
In a report by RH Kyle Bullas, this remark was the statement made by Lacson following President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s directive to investigate the flawed flood control projects.
Lacson emphasized that this self-dealing setup worsens the misuse of public funds, particularly in flood control projects and some of the most corruption-prone infrastructure initiatives.
“Lalo yung dredging, ‘yun ang pinakamadaling lusutan.” said Lacson.
He warned that this system leads not only to substandard or incomplete infrastructure, but also to ghost projects and programs that exist only on paper but are fully funded.
Lacson reiterated the need for greater transparency and called on the Marcos administration to form an independent body to audit and investigate these projects.
“Hindi, may bawas yun. Siyempre yung lalakad na papel, lalagyan mo yung mga mag-aasikaso nun. Sabihin mo nang gumastos ng 15-20%. Kasi panahon nina polis, ganun eh. 65% yung sa legislator, naiwanan sa kanya yung 35. Kasi gagastos siya ng mga 15 para sa pagpalakad ng papel,” he noted.
Lacson further stressed that the worsening flood situation in the Philippines should be treated as a national security concern, as it can no longer be attributed solely to climate change.
He admitted that the problem is not limited to the House of Representatives, pointing out that certain senators are also involved in inserting flood control projects into the national budget — a practice he linked to what he described as a “self-inflicted disaster.”
“Napakalaking issue na nito, hindi na ito biro-biro, parang national security aspect na ito dahil sa climate change. National security concern 'yan. Pero yun nga, ang climate change laging natuturo. Pero actually, self-inflicted yung karamihan ng baha sa atin," Lacson raised concerns.
"Ang sabi ko nga, bakit over the years, parang bakit directly proportional yung pag-akyat ng floodwaters sa pagdagdag ng ating budget para sa flood control?” he said.
Lacson added that the government must take a holistic view in addressing the issue from planning to execution and review the failures of the implementing agencies themselves.
In the same interview, the senator suggested the creation of an independent body to investigate alleged irregularities in government flood control projects, warning that the involvement of senators and congressmen in the probe could compromise its credibility.
