Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday denied that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is covering up anomalies in Taguig City flood control projects, after Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson publicly warned him of criminal liability if he did. According to the Philippine Star (Cristina Chi, Sept. 30, 2026), Dizon said: "Where the evidence leads us, that's where we'll go. It's as simple as that," and "No way that we would cover up."
The exchange matters because of what Dizon actually told senators earlier. Per the Star, when asked at a Senate hearing how many projects had been "conclusively" identified as ghost projects, nationwide and in Taguig specifically, his answer was "none." He later clarified that the answer was narrowly framed around the word "conclusively" and that the probe continues.
What Lacson alleges
According to the Star, Lacson, in a Monday radio interview, cited DPWH inspection reports alleging anomalies in Taguig flood control works, including geotagged billing photos for projects that were supposedly in Taguig but were geotagged some 600 kilometers away in Leyte. Lacson's warning to Dizon, as quoted: "Be careful, because if you cover this up, you'll be criminally liable."
A geotag that places a Taguig project in Leyte is a documentary red flag, not a verdict. The reports cited here do not say how many projects are affected, their peso value, or which contractors were involved, and DPWH has not yet publicly identified any.
Cayetano fires back
According to the Manila Times (Catherine S. Valente, Sept. 30, 2026), Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano accused Lacson of overreach, sarcastically calling him "Chief Justice Lacson, Prosecutor Lacson, DOJ Lacson." Cayetano claimed Lacson was inappropriately influencing multiple agencies, naming the LLDA, the Blue Ribbon Committee, the DILG and the PRA, and noted that Dizon first found no ghost projects in Taguig but later said the investigation was ongoing.
Lacson, per the same report, countered that he was following evidence of anomalies and posted: "IF THIS WERE COMING FROM SOMEONE CREDIBLE, I'D TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT." He pointed to privilege speeches that, he said, led to cases before the Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman.
Analysis: Cayetano's observation is the one fact in the spat that cuts against the DPWH: a department head who said "none" and then said "ongoing" within days has handed critics a talking point, whatever the wording explanation. But a sarcasm-versus-all-caps exchange between two senators is not an answer to the question the geotags raise. Who billed for what, where, and on whose sign-off remains unaddressed in the public record.
Context
DPWH has been under heavy scrutiny since the flood control kickback scandal. Earlier this month Pulpulitiko reported that DPWH summoned Taguig contractors over an ignored stop-work order at a Lower Bicutan reclamation site without naming them, and that the Senate flagged 7,107 DPWH projects worth ₱251 billion for data anomalies. Dizon is acting secretary, and senators have noted that his one-year term technically lapsed.
What is still unknown
How many Taguig projects carry mismatched geotags; whether any contractors are being formally investigated; whether DPWH will release the inspection reports Lacson cited; and what "ongoing" will mean in terms of a timeline. The accounts above also give no response from the Taguig city government to the allegations.
Sources
- Philippine Star (Cristina Chi), "Dizon denies cover-up in Taguig flood control probe: 'We'll go where evidence leads us,'" Sept. 30, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/09/30/2559999/dizon-denies-cover-taguig-flood-control-probe-well-go-where-evidence-leads-us
- Manila Times (Catherine S. Valente), "Cayetano, Lacson clash anew over flood-control probe," Sept. 30, 2026 — https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/09/30/news/cayetano-lacson-clash-anew-over-flood-control-probe/2435752
- Pulpulitiko prior coverage: DPWH Taguig contractors summons (Sept. 2026); Senate flags 7,107 DPWH projects (Sept. 2026)