Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said on Monday that the government may have wasted P3.71 billion on infrastructure projects connected to alleged illegal reclamation activities along Laguna Lake in Taguig City, citing findings from an investigation conducted by his staff.

“Based on official records and our investigation, the total cost of identified completed, ongoing and suspended DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control and multi-purpose projects along the ‘illegal’ Laguna Lakeshore reclamation areas in Taguig City has so far reached P3.713 billion,” Mr. Lacson said in a statement posted on X.

He said additional evidence gathered by his team would be turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman’s fact-finding body, the constitutional office mandated to investigate public officials for graft and other offenses.

The senator separately identified five contractors linked to projects accounting for P2.37 billion of the flagged amount. According to Mr. Lacson, all multi-purpose projects handled by one of those contractors have been suspended because of plan revisions.

“These do not include other anomalous slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River involving double appropriations and ‘ghost’ projects using recycled photographs in different ‘completed’ projects, for billing purposes,” he said.

His remarks came after Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon issued cease-and-desist orders covering projects linked to reclamation activities, at the request of the Philippine Reclamation Authority, the government agency that regulates reclamation projects nationwide.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter S. Cayetano, in a Facebook post, defended the Lakeshore reclamation area. He said the area has the potential to support health, education, recreation and business activities, adding that many communities depend on Laguna Lake.

“May this be a model for other lakes and developments in different LGUs (local government units) that with proper stewardship, purpose and vision, we can transform these blessings into opportunities that benefit our people,” he said in a statement. “Senator Ping, is this what you call wasted?”

On Aug. 28, Mr. Lacson also disclosed that the Land Registration Authority had begun reviewing 38.8 hectares of land in Taguig that he described as illegally reclaimed.

“I requested them to backtrack the history of the issued OCTs (original certificates of title) and other modes of titling, so we will find out how they were manipulated with the end in view of filing criminal charges against those responsible,” he said in a statement.

The dispute traces back to allegations raised by Mr. Lacson in July involving what he claimed were ghost infrastructure and reclamation projects in Taguig. The allegations surfaced amid a public feud between the senator and Mr. Cayetano, whose family has long held political prominence in Taguig City.

Mr. Lacson initially flagged P14.4 billion worth of infrastructure projects implemented from 2020 to 2025 and urged the Office of the Ombudsman to review documents obtained by his staff for possible violations, including plunder, malversation and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The outcome of the Ombudsman review and the Land Registration Authority’s title investigation remain pending. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel