Dizon urged: Tell truth on ‘ghost’ projects

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday urged Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to tell the truth about 68 infrastructure projects the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had flagged in Taguig City, saying any cover-up attempt could make them criminally liable.

“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,” Lacson said in a statement.

He added that one of the projects the DPWH had flagged included the slope protection project along Taguig River whose billing photos had geotagged coordinates located in Leyte, some 600 kilometers away from Taguig.

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READ: Lacson raises more red flags on Taguig ‘ghost’ projects

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During the Senate finance subcommittee’s hearing on the 2027 budget of the DPWH last week, Dizon, responding to a question from Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, said they have found no ghost projects in Taguig, the senator’s political bailiwick.

But Lacson said a “very apologetic” Dizon called him up over the weekend and claimed he was “set up” during the Senate hearing.

READ: Dizon to Cayetano: No ghost projects in Taguig

He added that he sent Dizon a video recording of the portion of the hearing where the latter “clearly” said there were no ghost projects, followed by DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe’s claim that all 107 projects in Taguig “have accomplishments.”

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“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 cover-up,” Lacson said.

He further claimed that he learned from Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito that Dizon had gone to Cayetano’s office before the budget hearing started.

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Lacson stressed that while they have not yet concluded the flagged projects are nonexistent, it is also not correct to conclude that there are no ghost projects in Taguig, saying he will continue to look into the matter.

The senator started looking into infrastructure projects in the city after Cayetano questioned the alleged doubling of Lacson’s net worth in 2025.

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Lacson responded that Cayetano crossed the line by questioning his credibility, saying he will fight back to put him where he belongs—in jail. /cb