Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday, October 13, called for a whole-of-government approach to address the deepening corruption mess in the country.

Lacson suggested strengthening the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) with adequate personnel and logistical resources as part of the efforts to address the issue of corruption.

“At the rate the number of substandard, uncompleted and even ghost infrastructure projects being attributed to the Discaya-owned firms keeps piling up, the ICI may not be able to cope with the complexity and enormity of the problem at hand,” Lacson said.

“Hence, the national government, including Congress must reinforce the Commission with adequate personnel and logistical resources, even additional legal power and authority by way of legislation so they can accomplish their assigned tasks,” he added.

Lacson recalled an investigative report on Inquirer.net where the Marikina dike cracked barely a year into its construction, prompting repairs and raising concern among residents.

In light of this, residents of Provident Village in Marikina City have expressed fears and uncertainty over the seeming defects in the Marikina dike, whose construction is being handled by Discaya-owned firms.

On Monday, the ICI said that of the 29,800 flood control projects built between 2016 and 2024 that it is inspecting, 421 were initially found to be ghost projects - including 261 in Luzon, 109 in Visayas, and 51 in Mindanao.

According ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka, the ICI aims to refer 15 to 20 cases to the Ombudsman in one month's time.

Lacson reiterated that a whole-of-government approach is needed now if the state is serious in ensuring a “logical conclusion” to the mess, with the prosecution and conviction of those involved.

It was Lacson who earlier disclosed the anomalies in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the extent of corruption behind substandard and ghost flood control projects.

“It goes without saying, if we really intend to prosecute, convict and recover their loot including their cohorts in Congress and the DPWH and other implementing agencies similarly responsible for these unprecedented misuse and abuse of public funds, a whole-of-government approach is extremely necessary, not later, but now,” the lawmaker said.