Why showcase flood control projects as part of your accomplishment report, then disown them once they become controversial?

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson pointed this out in his reply to Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan, who denied involvement in a damaged flood control project that Lacson flagged in his privilege speech on August 20.

In his privilege speech last Wednesday, Lacson cited a “congressional representative” showcasing his midterm accomplishment report, where he listed flood control and river protection initiatives as funded by his office.

“First, he showcased the projects, then denied involvement in them. I cannot reconcile why he said such projects were funded by his office or were his initiative - but now that there's a controversy, he denies involvement in it,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on DZRH radio Thursday evening.

In an interview after Lacson’s privilege speech, Panaligan denied involvement and claimed the projects were already in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Panaligan also denied he proposed the flood control projects, stating it emanated from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

But Lacson said there may be others like Panaligan who showcased similar projects, but they either they did not post them on social media, or may have had their posts or billboards removed.

The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief advised Panaligan and other district representatives to keep an eye on the implementation of projects in their districts even if they are not the proponents, unless they want to be controversial for being substandard or ghost projects.

“If they have projects in their districts even if they are not the proponent, they should keep an eye on them. There's nothing wrong in being blessed with projects, but make sure they are not substandard, defective, or ghost projects,” he said.

As for the DPWH, Lacson said the agency should be "equitable" instead of giving certain districts favorable treatment - and to rein in its corrupt district engineers.

Meanwhile, Lacson called om Malacanang to expand its "Sumbong sa Pangulo" website to cover not just flood control projects but also other infrastructure projects.

This is because the DPWH's website becomes inaccessible when the deliberations for the budget bill draw closer, or during controversies like the flood control project mess, he noted.

“I suspect it is deliberate,” he said of the DPWH website's inaccessibility.

Likewise, Lacson reiterated his call for transparency in both houses of Congress, especially in naming on the floor the proponents of insertions, realignments and other amendments to the budget bill, to put it on record.

“It is difficult to trace who is responsible for insertions unless they are on record. And this will be a deterrent to those making questionable insertions,” he said.