Lacson urges Marcos: Don’t shield allies in flood project scandal

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to stay out of the investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Lacson made the call during a radio interview when asked if he believes the Marcos administration is being selective about who should be investigated and charged in the controversial flood control scandal.

“Honestly, I think that’s possible. You can’t completely rule it out. But the President must know how to properly discern, even if the people involved are close to him,” Lacson said.

While the senator did not name anyone, it is publicly known that the President’s cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, has been linked to alleged insertions and kickbacks in DPWH infrastructure projects.

“There’s nothing you can do if the person is close to you, but if they committed a crime against the people, you have to hold them accountable. The President should go hands-off and leave the investigation to the authorities. Otherwise, it will raise serious questions,” Lacson stressed.

“People will ask: why was this person spared? When the evidence is right there for everyone to see, why let them off?” he added.

Lacson also warned the Marcos administration against setting deadlines for filing cases or jailing suspects, saying the priority should be building airtight cases to prevent those involved from walking free.

“I don’t believe in deadlines. What matters is a reasonable amount of time and certainty. It’s okay if there’s some delay, although the public is already very impatient because they’ve seen the evidence from the Blue Ribbon hearings and media reports. The evidence is visible. But in court, it’s a different fight. It’s not about perception—it’s about evidence,” Lacson said.

He added that this may also be the reason the Ombudsman is taking its time to ensure convictions are solid and not just rushed cases that end in acquittals.

“Let’s give them reasonable time to file the right cases against the right people. But being selective? That is absolutely unacceptable,” Lacson said.