Senator Lacson: Being labeled as 'Chief Justice' would be a compliment if from ‘someone credible’

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday pushed back against Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s characterization of him as acting like a “Chief Justice,” “Prosecutor” and Department of Justice secretary in the ongoing flood control investigations.

Lacson said he would instead regard Cayetano’s remarks as praise if they came from someone he considered credible.

"IF THIS WERE COMING FROM SOMEONE CREDIBLE, I’D TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT: '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,' —Alan Peter Cayetano," he said in a post on X.

Cayetano made the remarks during a livestream Tuesday while questioning Public Works Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon’s clarification that the investigation into several projects in Taguig City remained ongoing.

Dizon had said irregularities initially identified in the projects were still subject to further validation. Cayetano, however, maintained that the secretary should stand by his earlier statement that there were no ghost projects in the city.

Lacson said he was not acting as an investigator or prosecutor but was simply pursuing allegations of wrongdoing based on available evidence.

"Hindi ito personalan. Kung may nakita kang anomalya, ipipikit mo ang mata mo (This is not personal. But if you see an anomaly, will you just close your eyes)?" he said in a DZMM radio interview Tuesday.

He recalled that his discovery of alleged anomalies in flood control projects last year prompted him to conduct further inquiries. This eventually led him to deliver two privilege speeches detailing what he described as corruption involving projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.

Lacson was then chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which conducted hearings where additional evidence was presented and several personalities eventually faced complaints.

"Na-cascade ito sa kaso ngayon whether sa Sandiganbayan o Ombudsman. Palagay ko nakatulong ang aking team sa pag-expose ng anomalya sa flood control (These cascaded into cases pending before the Sandiganbayan and Ombudsman. I believe my team helped expose anomalies in flood control)," he said.

Lacson also reiterated that he would respond to Cayetano’s accusations with documentary evidence.

His team previously submitted at least 45 case studies to the Office of the Ombudsman concerning alleged anomalies in flood control projects in Taguig. The submissions were supported by official documents, which Lacson’s camp described as evidence of “systemic anomalies.” The Ombudsman subsequently initiated a fact-finding investigation into the allegations.

Lacson and his team also turned over evidence involving alleged illegal reclamation and infrastructure projects on the Taguig side of Laguna Lake.

"Ako naman sumasagot lang. Pag nagsasalita siya ang balik ko sa kanya, resibo (I merely reply to him, and when I do, I do so with receipts)," he said. -Paraluman News