Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday urged state prosecutors and other investigating agencies to immediately look into the Commission on Audit’s (COA) report on the purported P1.44-trillion worth of infrastructure projects that are delayed, abandoned and/or left idle.

“It is high time for government prosecutors from the Ombudsman or Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as investigating agencies, like the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), to give utmost importance and attention to the regular and special Commission on Audit (COA) audit reports if we intend to be serious in stamping out corruption in the country,” Lacson said in a statement.

“We owe it to the next generation of Filipinos to act now with strong political will in addressing corruption,” the senator said.

Lacson pointed out COA’s reports are very detailed and can easily provide clues as to how and where misuse of public funds originated.

“For one, the audit reports provide very good leads in identifying misuse and abuse of public funds and pursuing cases against erring public officials as well as their cohorts in the private sector—including contractors and suppliers,” the senator said.

COA, in its consolidated annual financial report for national government agencies for 2020, found that various infrastructure projects implemented by at least 17 agencies “were either not executed in accordance with the plan, with noted deficiencies, not completed on time (or) not completed at all, which may result in waste of government funds or delayed enjoyment of project benefits.”

The state auditing firm attributed the delays in the project completion to “abandoment by the contractor, inefficiency in monitoring of project implementation, poor planning and workmanship and lack of coordination with local government units (LGUs) and other agencies concerned.”

Lacson noted that much of the public funds are lost to corruption and those involved can get away without facing any liability.

“So much is lost to corruption, oftentimes committed with impunity by shenanigans who continue to laugh their way to the banks while we, the taxpaying public, are left with the proverbial empty bag,” the lawmaker said.

“We are already neck-deep in debt without seeing the commensurate programs, projects and activities (PPAs) designed to uplift the lives of Filipinos,” he lamented.