Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s order for a lifestyle check on 26 “cong-tractors,” or House members allegedly involved as contractors in government projects.
Lacson said it was “well and good” that the Ombudsman had started gathering evidence on the supposed “cong-tractors,” noting the issue clearly involves conflict of interest.
“It is a good development. If the Ombudsman has names and proof, it should investigate them because that is a clear conflict of interest. Imagine, you insert projects in the budget for projects where you are the contractor,” the veteran legislator said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.
“Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered lifestyle checks on the 26 ‘cong-tractors’.”
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano was quoted in reports that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered lifestyle checks on the 26 “cong-tractors.”
Clavano said this was based on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) obtained by the Ombudsman’s office.
Lacson also recalled that in two privilege speeches on anomalous flood control projects last year, he disclosed details of several ghost projects in Bulacan.
“There were so many ghost projects there. Did I not bare in two privilege speeches the ghost projects in Bulacan?” the seasoned lawmaker said.
The senator added that based on the testimonies of former Department of Public Works and Highways officials including Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo, ex-Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co poured in P35 billion into projects in Bulacan alone from 2022 to 2025.
“Alcantara said that since Bulacan was bloated with projects, he was told to look for other provinces and contact district engineers there because the pouring of funds into Bulacan would become too obvious.”
“Alcantara said that since Bulacan was bloated with projects, he was told to look for other provinces and contact district engineers there because the pouring of funds into Bulacan would become too obvious. That’s why there were also anomalous flood control projects in neighboring provinces like Tarlac,” he said.
“Imagine, just one congressman poured in P35 billion in Bulacan. Yet the charge Co now faces is in relation to a project in Naujan, Mindoro Oriental. We’re not yet talking about Bulacan,” Lacson concluded.
