Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday defended the lakeshore development in Taguig City amid criticism from fellow Senator Panfilo Lacson, as he said the project was intended to protect Laguna Lake and benefit the public.

In a Facebook livestream, Cayetano said the development was designed to protect the lake, provide spaces for public use, and prevent areas along the lakeshore from being occupied by informal settlers or taken over by private interests.

He said the project had undergone changes under different administrations and that its purpose should be understood by examining its history and consulting officials involved in its planning and implementation.

“The purpose po is to protect the lake. Ang purpose po ay ma-enjoy ng tao. Ang purpose po ay hindi malagyan ng informal settlers at hindi po magkaroon po ng mga, or kung hindi man informal settlers, hindi magkaroon ng mga sindikato, na kakamkamin ang mga lupa dyan at gagawin private (The purpose is to protect the lake. The purpose is for people to enjoy it. The purpose is to prevent informal settlers from occupying it and, if not informal settlers, to prevent syndicates from taking over the land and turning it into private property),” Cayetano said.

Cayetano also highlighted the project's benefits to Taguig residents. He says around 1.3 million people in the city and hundreds of thousands of nearby residents use the roads and public spaces developed along the lakeshore.

He urged critics to first seek clarification from the appropriate officials rather than immediately raising allegations of irregularities.

“Don't shoot first then ask questions later,” Cayetano said, and added that discussions should begin by examining the development of the Taguig lakeshore and its flood-control infrastructure.

The Senate minority leader also pushed back against any suggestion that he was preventing Lacson from investigating corruption.

“Kailan ko po siya pinigilan na labanan niya po yung mga korap? Siya po ang biglang tumigil sa mga imbestigasyon (When did I ever stop him from going after corrupt individuals? He was the one who suddenly stopped the investigations),” Cayetano said.

At the same time, Cayetano said public officials should remain open to scrutiny and investigations. Political positions, he stressed, should not dictate how issues are handled.

“All of us deserve the benefit of the doubt but all of us should be open to any investigation,” he said.

Cayetano said he would continue to stand up for the public while taking a case-by-case approach to government issues rather than being “totally anti-admin” or “totally pro-admin".

The senator also cited his long involvement in Taguig, and said he has been working in the city since 1992 and acknowledging that he and the local government were not perfect.

“Life's work na po namin yan (That's our life's work). We're not perfect. Like any other local government, like any other public official, may mga pagkukulang din kami (we have shortcomings),” Cayetano said.

He said the focus should ultimately remain on determining the truth, and that political criticism and scrutiny were normal in public life.