MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday, September 19, refuted claims of “selective justice” and “intimidation” leveled against him by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano regarding his ongoing investigation into flood control project anomalies.
Lacson’s statement follows a challenge from Alan Peter Cayetano, who urged him to expand his inquiry nationwide rather than focusing predominantly on Taguig City, the Cayetano family’s political stronghold.
Dismissing the accusation, Lacson clarified that focusing on specific locations is a matter of prioritization rather than bias, emphasizing that his earlier privilege speeches and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings had already uncovered extensive evidence of corruption across multiple regions, including Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.
“It is not selective justice; just prioritizing. Ang daldal mo kasi with ‘ad hominems’. Instead of confronting the issues, gusto mo magdamay ng iba. He conveniently forgets my two privilege speeches and Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the flood control project mess that produced massive evidence on the anomalies,” Lacson stated in a social media post.
The veteran lawmaker also responded to remarks from Senator Pia Cayetano, who recently expressed feeling “threatened” by a colleague persistently investigating her and her brother.
Confirming he was the individual in question, Lacson reaffirmed his intent to press ahead with anti-corruption efforts regardless of pushback.
“I am the one she was alluding to. And I would not stop because throughout my public service career in law enforcement and legislation, I have a low tolerance for corruption and my record can speak for itself,” Lacson said.
The heated exchange comes as Lacson’s office submitted detailed case studies and supporting documentation regarding Taguig flood control projects to the Office of the Ombudsman, which has launched a formal fact-finding investigation into the allegations.