Cayetano to Dizon: ‘Nasaan ang paninindigan mo?’

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday questioned Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s clarification that no Taguig project was among the 10 “conclusive” ghost projects identified nationwide, saying the secretary should stand by his earlier statement that there were no ghost projects in the city.

In a Facebook livestream, Cayetano questioned Dizon’s explanation that his earlier statement before the Senate finance subcommittee referred to the 10 projects that had been conclusively identified as ghost projects nationwide, none of which was in Taguig.

Dizon had also said the investigation into Taguig projects remained ongoing, with initial findings of irregularities submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman for further validation.

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“So nasaan ngayon ang paninindigan mo na paulit-ulit mong sasabihin sa amin na hinalungkat ninyo lahat ng project, walang ghost?” Cayetano said.

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(“So where is your conviction now, when you keep telling us that you have gone through all the projects and that there are no ghost projects?”)

READ: No ghost projects in Taguig – Dizon

Dizon earlier explained that the investigation in Taguig had only recently started and that the initial report contained findings that still needed further validation and investigation.

Among the findings was a 2022 Taguig project of a Discaya company, where three instances reportedly had coordinates pointing to Leyte instead of Taguig.

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Dizon said the findings had been submitted to the Ombudsman and that authorities would have to wait for the final report and the Ombudsman’s action.

Cayetano said he understood that the investigation into irregularities was still ongoing, which was why he did not initially ask Dizon about other problems involving the projects.

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“Kaya nga hindi kita tinanong kung may irregularities kasi alam ko ’yung tinitignan n’yo pa,” Cayetano said.

(“So that’s why I didn’t ask you about the irregularities because I knew you were still looking into them.”)

“Mahigit apat na daan ang ghost. Ilan ang nakita ninyong ghost? Sampo pa lang. Bakit? Kasi mali-mali ’yung coordinates, pero nung tinignan niyo, hindi pala ghost,” he said.

(“More than 400 were identified as ghost projects. How many have you found? Only 10 so far. Why? Because the coordinates were wrong, but when you checked them, they turned out not to be ghost projects.”)

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

Influence over Dizon

Cayetano also belied allegations of his supposed ties with Dizon and instead questioned what he described as Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s influence over Dizon and other government agencies.

“Simula nung napalitan akong [Senate President], hindi po ako tinawagan ni Secretary Dizon. Sa lahat po ng binintang sa Taguig, binintang sa amin, hindi po ako tinawagan ni Secretary Dizon,” Cayetano said.

(“Since I was replaced as [Senate President], Secretary Dizon has not called me. Amid all the allegations involving Taguig and us, Secretary Dizon never called me,” Cayetano said.)

READ: Lacson urges Dizon: Tell truth on Taguig ‘ghost’ projects

Cayetano said he spoke with Dizon during the hearing and asked whether the secretary had found any ghost projects among Taguig projects.

“Sabi niya, wala. Kahit sinong magtanong sa akin, wala. ’Yung pala, kahit sinong magtanong, puwera si Panfilo Lacson. Bakit? Eh may kasunod na threat,” he said.

(“He said no. Whoever would ask me, no’s the answer. But apparently, no’s the answer to anyone who would ask except Panfilo Lacson. Why? Because there’s a threat afterwards.”)

Cayetano then alleged that Lacson was exerting influence over Dizon and several government agencies.

“Si Senator Lacson kasi ano na eh, Chief Justice Lacson, Prosecutor Lacson, DOJ Lacson, persecutor Lacson, siya na lahat. Secretary Lacson, siya na nagdidikta eh,” Cayetano said.

(“Senator Lacson has become Chief Justice Lacson, the prosecutor Lacson, the DOJ Lacson, the persecutor Lacson, he’s everything now. Secretary Lacson, he’s the one calling the shots,”)

“Siya na nagdidikta sa LLDA, siya na nagdidikta sa Blue Ribbon Committee noon, siya na nagdidikta sa DILG, siya na nagdidikta sa PRA.”

(“He is the one calling the shots at the LLDA, the Blue Ribbon Committee before, the DILG, and the PRA.”)

Cayetano also questioned why Lacson had copies of reports concerning the flood control investigation that he said Dizon had not provided him.

“Bakit lahat ng report kumpleto may kopya si Sen. Lacson? Bakit po ba? Siya ba ang DOJ? Siya po ba ang nag-iimbestiga? Hindi na siya Blue Ribbon Committee. Eh ako, ni isang papel, hindi binigyan ni Secretary Dizon ng kopya,” he said.

(“Why does Sen. Lacson have complete copies of all the reports? Why is that? Is he the DOJ? Is he conducting the investigation? He is no longer with the Blue Ribbon Committee. Yet Secretary Dizon did not give me a single document.”)

“But sabi niya, open daw sa lahat.”

(“But he said everything was open to everyone.”)

Cayetano further claimed that Dizon had been warned that he could be implicated in a cover-up if he did not change his position.

“Ang problema, si Senator Lacson, pagka nakarinig siya ng hindi gusto, gusto niyang baguhin. Tapos may pananakot,” Cayetano said.

(“The problem is, when Senator Lacson hears something he doesn’t like, he wants it changed. Then there are threats.”)

“Si Secretary Dizon, ano sabi? Secretary Dizon, pag hindi mo binago ’yan, baka kasama ka d’yan kasi cover-up. Tapos, baka maging accessory ka. So may pananakot eh. Tapos nagbabago naman po ng stand yung iba,” he added.

(“As for Secretary Dizon, what did he say? ‘Secretary Dizon, if you don’t change that, you might be implicated because of a cover-up. You could become an accessory.’ So there are threats. And then some people change their position.”)

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The Inquirer sought comment from Lacson and Dizon on Cayetano’s latest statements but had yet to receive a response as of posting time. /cb