Alan Cayetano: There are no 'ghost' projects in Taguig City
At A Glance
- Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano made the statement after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) led by Secretary Vince Dizon and local officials inspected the Justice, Law and Order (JLaw) Building being built in Barangay Lower Bicutan.
The City of Taguig has no ghost projects, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said.
Cayetano made the statement on Tuesday, April 28, after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) led by Secretary Vince Dizon and local officials inspected the Justice, Law and Order (JLaw) Building being built in Barangay Lower Bicutan.
The site is a five-story facility designed to house courts, prosecutors, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and detention units. It was formerly part of a multi-purpose building project awarded in 2020 under controversial government contractors Sara and Curlee Discaya.
“Dito (sa Taguig) wala kaming sinasanto (Here in Taguig, we don’t treat anyone as sacred),” Cayetano told reporters in an interview.
“Walang ghost (projects) sa Taguig, it was all bidded,” he assured.
The senator said initial checks on city projects showed no evidence of ghost infrastructure and that all works went through proper bidding and validation.
He also explained that what the city found was a procurement and implementation issue rather than any non-existent or “ghost” structure.
“But that's the problem (with) open bidding. ‘Pag (if) open bidding, anyone can win. That's precisely why we invited you (media) we invited DPWH Sec. Vince. Walang tinatago dito,” he said.
The lawmaker also stressed that transparency guided the inspection of the site.
“That's why at the start of this (inspection), sinabi ko sa lahat (I told everyone)— open books, transparent, tingnan niyo lahat (Check everything),” he said.
“Ang request ko lang, sabay-sabay gawin. Para hindi y’ung may tinitingnan, may tinititigan (My only request is that they do it simultaneously. So that they don’t just look at one, and focus on one),” he said.