MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday described Congress as the “original sin” behind widespread corruption involving flood control projects, stating that systemic anomalies within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stem from congressional budget insertions.
In an interview aired on True FM, Lacson asserted that the Senate investigation into substandard and ghost flood control projects must go beyond minor players and reach those responsible for enabling the corrupt system.
“The investigation must not end with Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Sally Santos, or the Discayas. The root of the problem lies within Congress itself,” Lacson said in Filipino. “If there were no budget insertions by lawmakers, corrupt DPWH officials would not have funds to exploit. Corruption has become systemic, with even junior officials devising their own schemes.”
Lacson, chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, is scheduled to preside over the next hearing on Tuesday, September 23. He has requested Senate President Vicente Sotto III to move the start of the regular session to 4:00 p.m. to accommodate the investigation.
Among those previously summoned by the committee are former DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, Syms Construction owner Sally Santos, and Cezarah and Pacifico Discaya II. Hernandez and Santos have cooperated with the panel, while Alcantara and Pacifico Discaya II were cited in contempt for refusing to provide full testimony. A show cause order was issued against Cezarah Discaya.
Hernandez, under tight security, was allowed to return home to retrieve documents and potential evidence, which the committee was scheduled to analyze on Monday. He has accused Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects and making budget insertions in the 2023 and 2025 appropriations. Both lawmakers have denied the allegations.
Lacson stressed the importance of identifying not only the implementers but also those who may have orchestrated or benefited from these schemes at higher levels of government.
“It is imperative to identify and hold accountable not only individuals like Alcantara and Hernandez but also those in positions of greater power. However, we must first secure sufficient evidence,” he said.
Former DPWH Undersecretary for Operations Roberto Bernardo has been invited to testify in the upcoming hearing. Bernardo, during his tenure, assigned Alcantara to the DPWH office in Bulacan while the latter was reportedly on “floating” status and seconded to the Manila City government under then-Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Lacson also pledged to cooperate with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), assuring that any relevant findings will be promptly shared.
“We will not keep any evidence to ourselves. If we can assist the ICI in its investigation, we will do so immediately,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Lacson called for institutional reform within Congress, particularly regarding the budget process.
“I urge both chambers to exercise self-restraint and refrain from making infrastructure insertions, especially in the DPWH. This is where the corruption begins. Some lawmakers have simply become too greedy,” he stated.| – The MetroTimes.ph
