Palace: No cover-up in probe into ghost infra projects

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday said no one should be protected and nothing should be concealed in the government’s investigation into ghost flood control and other infrastructure projects.

The Palace made the statement after Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson challenged Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon to explain why the GPS coordinates of an infrastructure project in Taguig City point to Leyte.

The issue arose after Dizon earlier said there were no ghost projects in the city.

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READ: Lacson hits DPWH chief’s remark on Taguig projects

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During Monday’s briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro was asked how confident Malacañang was that there would be no cover-up if the project in question is eventually found to be irregular.

“Kung mayroon po mang mga tao, mga tauhan ng DPWH na nais magtakip ng katotohanan, ito po ay isang paalala na ang pangulo po, ang nais ay tamang pag-iimbestiga, sapat na pag-iimbestiga, walang kinakanlong, walang itinatago lalung-lalo na kung ito ay mga kaalyado,” Castro responded.

(If there are any DPWH personnel who intend to conceal the truth, this is a reminder that the president wants a proper and thorough investigation. No one should be protected, and nothing should be hidden, especially when those involved are allies.)

Castro also relayed Dizon’s clarification regarding his statement that there were no ghost projects in Taguig City.

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“Nakausap po mismo natin si Secretary Vince Dizon, at ito po ay kaniya namang niliwanag. Ayon po sa kaniya, ang binabanggit lamang po niya dito ay patungkol doon sa mga conclusive na mga ghost projects,” she said.

(We spoke directly with Secretary Vince Dizon, and he clarified the matter. According to him, he was referring only to the ghost projects that had been conclusively established as such.)

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“So, wala raw doon sa sampu na alam niyang conclusive ghost projects iyong itinatanong sa kaniya, pero hindi naman po nangangahulugan na walang masasabing na anomalya sa Taguig. Hindi rin po niya sinasabing mayroon, hindi niya sinasabing wala,” Castro added.

(So, he said that the project being asked about was not among the 10 ghost projects that he knew had been conclusively identified as such. However, this does not mean that there is no anomaly in Taguig. He is not saying that there is one, nor is he saying that there isn’t.)

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During the Senate finance subcommittee’s hearing on the DPWH budget on Friday, Cayetano asked Dizon whether there were any “ghost” projects in his bailiwick, Taguig City.

Dizon has had a long-standing professional and political relationship with Cayetano.

“Are there any ghost projects in Taguig?” Cayetano asked, to which Dizon responded, “In our investigation, none.”

The DPWH said it has recorded 107 projects in Taguig, all of which have “accomplishments.”

After the hearing, Lacson said in a separate social media post on Saturday that Dizon’s “pressure” of his work as DPWH chief “may have clouded his memory.”

“The DPWH already turned over to my Senate office records of non-existent but reported as completed slope protection projects in Taguig. Like toothpaste squeezed from the tube, there’s no putting it back in,” Lacson said.

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Lacson and Cayetano have tussled over alleged flood control irregularities in Taguig City over the past weeks. /gsg