Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano mocked Sen. Ping Lacson’s probe into Taguig infrastructure as a hunt for ghosts. Now Lacson says that “ghost hunt” turned up suspected ghost flood projects along the Taguig River, and the Office of the Ombudsman is investigating.
The claim: “ghost” flood projects in Taguig
Lacson said Saturday, September 5 that suspected phantom slope protection and flood mitigation works were found along the Taguig River, and that Ombudsman Remulla confirmed his office is looking into it. Lacson said his team has turned over at least 45 case studies backed by official documents detailing what he called “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects.
| What Lacson claims | Cayetano’s response |
|---|---|
| Suspected “ghost” slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River | Cayetano likened the probe to a “striptease” with no real evidence |
| Illegal reclamation on Taguig’s side of Laguna Lake; ~P3.7 billion allegedly wasted | Cayetano says Taguig flood control has improved, calls the claims a “witch hunt” and “demolition job” |
| Taguig City Hall personnel tried to block Ombudsman investigators Friday | Cayetano urged officials to treat criticism as a challenge to improve |
What happened Friday near Laguna Lake
Lacson said Ombudsman investigators were blocked on Friday, and that Taguig City government personnel were held after allegedly trying to stop the team. He pointed to an alleged illegal reclamation on the Taguig side of Laguna Lake as separate from the ghost flood projects, saying investigators were hindered by city hall and that the Special Action Force was called in.
Two senators, two versions of Taguig’s flood control
The exchange is the latest in a running fight between the two senators over flood control and reclamation in Taguig, which is Cayetano’s political bailiwick and where his wife Lani Cayetano is mayor. Lacson, a former national police chief, insists the probe must be deliberate and thorough rather than rushed. Cayetano told city officials at Taguig’s Legislators’ Night that flooding has since improved from neck level.
- Who is probing: the Office of the Ombudsman, per a Remulla confirmation
- What is alleged: ghost slope protection and flood mitigation works, plus illegal reclamation, along Taguig River and Laguna Lake
- Evidence cited: 45 case studies and official documents Lacson says were turned over
- New flashpoint: an attempted block of Ombudsman investigators on Friday
Why this matters now
The allegations land as the country reels from this year’s devastating monsoon flooding, which is exactly why suspected ghost flood projects draw attention: an Ombudsman case over a P77-million Bulacan flood project that was never built, and the DPWH has said it is scrapping old flood plans for science-backed basin plans. Any public money spent on flood walls that never actually protects communities is the kind of finding readers should watch closely as the Ombudsman investigation plays out.
