(UPDATE) SEN. Panfilo Lacson appealed for “greed control” on Thursday, and said lawmakers who proposed insertions in the national budget should answer for ghost infrastructure projects they had sponsored.
Lacson made his appeal a day after he exposed in a privilege speech a web of corruption involving public officials and contractors while investigating ghost flood control projects in Bulacan, Pampanga and Oriental Mindoro.
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
Ongoing flood-control works continue in Binondo, Manila despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim of anomalies in several projects. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Aug. 21, 2025 reminded the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to secure permits from the city government before undertaking such infrastructure projects, stressing that all must align with its Drainage Master Plan to prevent flooding and ensure accountability. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN
“The depth of corruption has become so overwhelming that it drowns us in our sad state,” Lacson said in a statement on Thursday. “More than flood control, what the Filipino people badly need to see is greed control.”
Lacson said he had compiled a “corruptionary,” or dictionary of corrupt practices, while investigating the anomalies that marred flood control projects in some parts of the country. These terms include distinct, funders, passing through or parking fee and reseta (prescription).
Heavy machinery operates on the Pasay City reclamation project at Manila Bay on Aug. 21, 2025. Environmental experts said that the reclamation activity exacerbated the flood problem in Metro Manila as it hindered the flow of water. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA.
Heavy machinery operates on the Pasay City reclamation project at Manila Bay on Aug. 21, 2025. Environmental experts said that the reclamation activity exacerbated the flood problem in Metro Manila as it hindered the flow of water. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA.
Heavy machinery operates on the Pasay City reclamation project at Manila Bay on Aug. 21, 2025. Environmental experts said that the reclamation activity exacerbated the flood problem in Metro Manila as it hindered the flow of water. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA.
Heavy machinery operates on the Pasay City reclamation project at Manila Bay on Aug. 21, 2025. Environmental experts said that the reclamation activity exacerbated the flood problem in Metro Manila as it hindered the flow of water. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA.
The senator cited these terms in his privilege speech on Wednesday afternoon, which detailed the schemes that siphoned off at least half of P1.9 trillion from taxpayers for the last 15 years.
Lacson said “distinct” referred to multiple budget items seen in the General Appropriations Act with the same contract cost. He said his informants in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as some contractors said this was code for who “owns” a project.
“For those in the know, this means that project is mine,” Lacson said. He cited instances of such “distinct” projects in the Bulacan First Engineering District formerly headed by Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, where several riverbank protection projects had the same contract price of P77.199 million — and turned out to be ghost projects.
“This is well-orchestrated by an organized network of people who abuse their power. A group in the 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) is a known syndicate of substandard and ghost projects. It uses contractors’ licenses to implement projects or process documents to show the ghost projects were ‘completed,’” Lacson said.
The term “reseta” referred to the 2- to 3-percent kickback of the DEO. It is the “excess” amount from the contractor’s profit.
Lacson said this is called “reseta” because the amount “dictated by the district engineering office is like medicine prescribed by a doctor — to be just swallowed by the contractor.”
The third term, “passing through or parking fee,” referred to the “royalty” paid to politicians who control a district where the project will be implemented. It can take 5 to 6 percent of the project cost.
The fourth term, “funder,” referred to politicians who are proponents of the project, who get 20 percent to 25 percent of the project cost.
Lacson cited the case of a “funder” who managed to insert P1.1 billion for flood control projects in Barangay Mulawin in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
While the barangay (village) was to get only three projects worth P810 million in the National Expenditure Program, this ballooned to eight projects worth P1.9 billion in the House version of the budget bill, Lacson said.
“The remaining P1.1 billion was inserted -– I repeat — inserted in the House version,” he said.
Lacson noted that flood control project costs include 5 percent for value-added tax, 2 percent for withholding tax, 1 percent for bonds and insurances, and 1 percent for materials testing; with the allowable contractor’s profit of 8 to 10 percent.
Thus, 82 percent will be left for the project itself.
But this is further reduced by 8 to 10 percent that goes to DPWH officials, 2 to 3 percent for the DEO, 5 to 6 percent for members of the bids and awards committee, 0.5 to 1 percent for the Commission on Audit, 5 to 6 percent for the “parking fee” to politicians, and 20 to 25 percent for the funder, or politicians who are proponents of the project.
Also on Thursday, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan denied the allegations that he was the lawmaker behind the anomalous flood control projects in his province.
Lacson, in his privilege speech on Wednesday, did not name him, but he was implicated through a Facebook post as among those public officials who colluded with contractors over ghost flood control projects.
In an interview on radio DWLA on Thursday morning, Panaligan said he was shocked to hear that his name was being implicated in Lacson’s speech.
“It is the first time that I was implicated in this issue, but I will explain myself in the future,” Panaligan said.
He reiterated that his province, specifically in the towns of Naujan, Victoria and Calapan City, are flood-prone areas and that for the longest time, the national government has not funded these flood control programs.
“Just only in 2023, the national government gave its funds through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and we welcome that they gave us a huge fund, and that was included in the budget proposal of the DPWH in the National Expenditure Program,” Panaligan said.
He said he never lobbied for these flood control projects and that the projects listed in the NEP were initiatives of the DPWH itself.
On the allegations that it was his office that funded the projects, Panaligan said his Agila, or Aksyon Gobyerno at Inisyatibo Sa Larangang Lehislatura, is just a brand for his projects.
He also said that the insertions that were alleged by Lacson were only introduced after the bicameral conference committee, of which he is not a member of.
Panaligan called on the DPWH to fix the designs and reassess the ongoing flood control programs in his province amid claims that some projects were left unfinished or were destroyed by floods.
