Lacson Pushes Private Sector Help in Addressing Floods, Continues Own Probe into Ghost Flood Projects
August 10, 2025
Lacson Pushes Private Sector Help in Addressing Floods, Continues Own Probe into Ghost Flood Projects
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4mQKehHMPg
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson over the weekend pushed for the all-out help of the private sector in addressing the flooding problem, even as he continues his own probe into failed and ghost flood control projects that have cost taxpayers more than P2 trillion in the last 15 years.
Lacson said the offer of San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang to do a cleanup of rivers and other waterways at no cost to government may be an opportunity for Malacanang to appeal to the corporate social responsibility of other big companies.
In the meantime, Lacson said he is continuing his own investigation into failed and ghost flood control projects, including new modus operandi involved.
"SMC's Ramon Ang has offered to solve the recurring flood problems in Metro Manila at no cost to the government. He said he only needs authorization. Imagine if the country's richest families will pool their CSR (corporate social responsibility) resources together and do what government spends hundreds of billions on in tax money every fiscal year, but seems to fail to deliver. It may be a little out of the box, but why not?" he said in a post on his X account Saturday evening.
Should Ang deliver on his offer, Lacson said he will move to reduce the 2026 flood management appropriations for Metro Manila for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Lacson earlier pointed out the DPWH alone received more than P2 trillion in flood management allocations since 2011, but failed to solve the flooding problem.
"Assuming RSA is given the authority and actually performs what he offered to do before our plenary debates on the 2026 budget bill, I will move to reduce the DPWH and MMDA appropriations for the flood management program in the NCR during the period of individual amendments," he said.
Lacson, in an interview on DWIZ Saturday afternoon, said Ang's commendable initiative is an opportunity for Malacanang "to issue a clarion call to other billionaires in the Forbes list to pool their resources for this as an act of corporate social responsibility."
"Imagine if RSA or a big corporation offered to solve the flooding in Metro Manila, what if a challenge was made to others in the Forbes list to help the government in this regard? I am sure they would agree, and you can just imagine the problem we can solve," he said in Filipino.
Meanwhile, Lacson said he is continuing his verification of information into failed and ghost flood control projects, even as he added he is willing to compare notes with a list of such projects submitted by the DPWH to Malacanang.
"I am continuing my verification. I am very careful on this, I want my findings to be factual, that's why I am having details on the ground checked," he said.
He said he is looking into projects that were funded in earlier General Appropriations Act (GAAs) that were listed as completed in previous years, but were never constructed - and funds were allotted for them again in the 2025 GAA.
"For example a project would be funded 1-2 years ago. It will not be constructed and it will not be too obvious because it is in a remote area, but it will be funded again, then actually constructed. If you do not check records covering more than one year, you won't notice it immediately," he said.
Another modus operandi is to use substandard materials and practices that do not follow the project's specifications.
Still another possible issue involves the DPWH district engineer who has a construction company implementing the project in the contractor's name, with the contractor pressured into complying as his future projects may be at stake. But with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. now having the flood control projects investigated, the contractors will be in the hot seat.
But Lacson said he is still verifying the information, since it is also possible that the projects may have been wiped out by previous calamities.
"I cannot have just one validation. And I will not make accusations without being sure of my facts," he said.
Lacson, Nais ang Tulong ng Pribadong Sektor vs Baha, Habang Patuloy ang Pag-imbestiga sa Ghost Flood Projects
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4mQKehHMPg
Nais ni Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson ang tulong ng pribadong sektor sa pagtugon sa problema ng pagbaha, habang patuloy ang kanyang pag-imbestiga sa palpak at guniguning flood control projects na naglustay ng higit P2 trilyon ng pera ng taumbayan sa nakaraang 15 taon.
Ayon kay Lacson, ang offer ni San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang para linisin ang estero sa Metro Manila na hindi gagastos ang gobyerno ay pagkakataon para sa Malacanang na umapela sa corporate social responsibility ng ibang malaking kumpanya.
Samantala, patuloy ang kanyang pag-iimbestiga sa mga palpak at ghost na flood control projects, kabilang ang mga modus operandi dito.
"SMC's Ramon Ang has offered to solve the recurring flood problems in Metro Manila at no cost to the government. He said he only needs authorization. Imagine if the country's richest families will pool their CSR (corporate social responsibility) resources together and do what government spends hundreds of billions on in tax money every fiscal year, but seems to fail to deliver. It may be a little out of the box, but why not?" ani Lacson sa kanyang X account Sabado ng gabi.
Kung maganda ang maipakita ni Ang, tiniyak ni Lacson na pababawasin niya ang Metro Manila flood management appropriations para sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) para sa 2026.
Naibuking ni Lacson noong Hulyo na ang DPWH ay nagkaroon ng higit P2 trilyong alokasyon sa flood management mula 2011, nguni't hindi pa rin natugunan ang problema ng pagbaha.
"Assuming RSA is given the authority and actually performs what he offered to do before our plenary debates on the 2026 budget bill, I will move to reduce the DPWH and MMDA appropriations for the flood management program in the NCR during the period of individual amendments," ani Lacson.
Sa panayam sa DWIZ Sabado ng hapon, binanggit ni Lacson na ang inisyatibo ni Ang ay pagkakataon din para sa Malacanang na manawagan sa lahat ng bilyonaryo natin "at mag-pool sila ng resources kasi malaki ang kanilang corporate social responsibility."
"Imagine kung si RSA, isang corporation, nag-o-offer na mag-solve siya gagastos sa Metro Manila, halimbawa i-challenge ang iba na napakalaki ng kanilang, nasa Forbes list sila ng Asia, isipin mo kung sila lahat sila magkakasama, may isang magbabastonero na sabihing o sige baka pwedeng mag-usap-usap tayo kailangan ng tulong ng gobyerno ng private sector, palagay ko papayag sila. You can just imagine the problem we can solve," aniya.
Samantala, tuloy pa rin ang pag-validate ni Lacson sa impormasyon sa mga palpak at guniguning flood control projects, bagama't handa siyang mag-compare notes sa listahan na isinumite ng DPWH sa Malacanang.
"Tuloy tuloy ang verification namin. Maingat ako kailangan factual, tsine-check ko nga sa ground," aniya.
Ani Lacson, tinitingnan niya ang proyekto na pinondohan sa General Appropriations Act sa nakaraang taon at nalista na "completed" nguni't hindi pala nabuo - at pinondohan muli ang proyekto sa 2025 GAA.
"Halimbawa napondohan 1-2 years ago. Hindi gagawin, papel lang ang anda, siguro kung kanikaninong certification lang, lahat kinausap. Halimbawa di napansin kasi malayong lugar o di napasyalan, popondohan uli sa susunod na taon, saka lang gagawin. Napagtakpan na ang ghost. Kung di ka magtiyagang mag-compare sa records, official documents, na may pondo last year walang nagawa, nasaan ang pinondohan diyan," aniya.
Isa pang modus operandi ang gagamit ng substandard na materyales at gawain na hindi sumusunod sa project specifications.
Isa pang lumalabas na isyu ay ang posibilidad na ang DPWH district engineer na may sariling construction company ang aarbor na mag-implementa sa proyekto sa ngalan ng contractor, at hindi makaangal ang contractor dahil baka hindi na aprubahan ang susunod niyang mga proyekto. Nguni't ngayong pinaimbestiga ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang flood control projects, ang contractor ay ang maaaring unang malalagot.
Nilinaw ni Lacson na bineberipika pa ang mga impormasyong ito, dahil posible rin na na-wipe out ang mga proyekto ng nakaraang kalamidad.
"Hindi pwedeng isang validation lang kasi mahirap na. Kailangan sigurado at hindi ako bibintang kung hindi sigurado ang bintang ko," aniya.
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