Does Taguig have ghost flood control projects? The conflicting claims of Dizon and Lacson

Senator Ping Lacson disputes Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s statement, saying it contradicted site inspection reports prepared by DPWH personnel

AT A GLANCE

• Senator Panfilo Lacson claims to have identified at least 32 anomalous flood control projects in Taguig City, including two he labels as ghost projects.
• Senator Alan Peter Cayetano disputes these claims, stating that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) found no ghost projects in Taguig, although they confirmed 10 ghost projects nationwide.
• Lacson maintains his position, citing evidence of irregularities and ongoing investigations, while highlighting the professional ties between Cayetano and DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

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MANILA, Philippines – Are there really ghost flood control projects in Taguig City, the political bailiwick of the Cayetanos?

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has claimed that his team identified at least 32 allegedly anomalous flood control projects in Taguig City. At least two, according to Lacson, are ghost projects.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, however, has disputed allegations of ghost projects in the city.

During the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget hearing on Friday, September 25, Cayetano directly asked Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon whether the agency had found any ghost projects in Taguig.

“Ilan na ang conclusive na ghost project across the nation,” Cayetano asked. (How many ghost projects across the country have been conclusively identified?)

Dizon said there are 10 confirmed ghost projects so far.

“Are there any ghost projects in Taguig?” Cayetano followed up.

“Wala po. Sa aming imbestigasyon, wala po,” Dizon replied. (None. In our investigation, there’s none.)

Lacson disputed Dizon’s statement, saying it contradicted site inspection reports prepared by DPWH personnel.

“Poor DPWH Site Inspection Engineers. Their boss, Sec. Vince Dizon directly contradicted their own site inspection reports in Taguig, specifically submitted by personnel from the department’s Bureau of Quality and Safety and Bureau of Maintenance,” Lacson said in a social media post on Saturday, September 26.

Lacson has cited DPWH records involving a project supposedly located in Taguig but whose geotagged site photos reportedly showed coordinates in Leyte, around 600 kilometers away. 

Lacson said Dizon called him after the Senate hearing and was “apologetic,” telling him that it appeared he had been “set up.” 

For Lacson, it seems like that’s not the case. The senator sent a video to Dizon, an excerpt of the hearing when Dizon made the blanket denial that there’s no ghost flood control project in Taguig City.

Dizon, on Monday, September 28, clarified that there are 10 confirmed ghost flood control projects in the country so far but none is located in Taguig City.

Dizon also clarified that the investigation into the flood control projects in Taguig is still on-going.

Lacson has stood by his findings, saying he does not make allegations without “receipts” or proof.

In July, Lacson submitted evidence on alleged irregularities involving flood control projects in Taguig to the Office of the Ombudsman for review. 

Ties that bind: Dizon and Cayetano

The professional ties between Dizon and Cayetano date back to 2013. Dizon served as a consultant to then-Senate majority ;eader Cayetano from 2013 to 2016, Dizon’s resumé shows. 

Dizon later became president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

During his time at the BCDA, Dizon was involved in preparations for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, while Cayetano chaired the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee.

The SEA Games later drew scrutiny over the construction of its controversial cauldron.

In 2026, the National Bureau of Investigation started an investigation again into the alleged anomalies surrounding SEA games. – Rappler.com