Ping Lacson claims to have identified 'bagman' behind Taguig ghost projects

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ping Lacson said he has identified the alleged bagman of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, whom he accuses of ghost flood control works in Taguig, including projects listed under firms of the Discaya contractor couple. 

Lacson also accused a Taguig city engineer of moving nearly half a billion pesos through a Metro Manila casino under two aliases, about P374 million under one name and about P124 million under the other.

"I have already identified his [Cayetano's] bagman. We are just gathering the proper evidence," Lacson said in Filipino in a radio interview Monday with broadcasters Ted Failon and DJ Chacha. He did not name the alleged bagman.

The allegations are the latest in the feud between Lacson and Cayetano, days after the latter publicly questioned the increase in Lacson's wealth declarations between 2022 and 2025. 

Lacson said the evidence his team will gather is ultimately bound for the Ombudsman. 

Cayetano has denied there are ghost projects in the city, and no case has been filed against him over the allegations.

On the Discaya link, the former Blue Ribbon committee chair said his team found projects in Taguig from around 2020 — when, he recalled, Cayetano was House speaker — listed under St. Timothy and St. Gerard, which are construction firms of the contractor couple at the center of the flood control scandal, but implemented by other parties. 

He said he holds copies of checks, though he described the findings as a work in progress and subject to validation, saying the projects could turn out to be "defective, substandard, or ghost."

Lacson said the irregularities of the infrastructure projects were part of a larger kickback scheme. He said that in some projects, "the linear distance of one span overlaps with another span so the contractor can save money to pay kickbacks."

"Others were piled on top of each other, and all sorts of things were done to cover up old ghost projects. We will dig through all of that to prove what I am saying, that there are ghost projects in Taguig too," Lacson addef.

Large sums via gambling? Lacson clarified that the nearly P500 million win-loss record tied to the city engineer reflects total casino bets, not total winnings.

"If the city engineer gambles that heavily in casinos, what is this?" he said. "The local government leadership does not know its city engineer is that extravagant?"

Cayetano's brother willing to help

Lacson confirmed that Lino Cayetano, the senator's brother, has offered information through an intermediary.

"That's true," he said. "Someone told me, through an intermediary, that Lino wanted to cross over and asked if he could contact me, because he wants to help in the investigation since he said he knows many ghost projects in Taguig. I'm just quoting that verbatim."

Lacson said he verified the offer himself. "I clarified: was it really him who said he wanted to get in touch with me? He said yes. I said, 'I'm willing.'"  

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, the Blue Ribbon chair, said Sunday, July 19 that Lino is willing to testify and has been calling for an investigation into Taguig flood control projects from 2022 to 2025, reportedly amounting to P6 billion — the period covered by the term of his sister-in-law, Mayor Lani Cayetano. 

'Focus on Taguig'

Lacson said Taguig was set aside when his committee was buried in evidence from anomalous infrastructure projects in Bulacan, Occidental Mindoro and Pampanga in the 19th Congress.

"Now that he has stirred this issue, I told my staff: let's focus on Taguig so we can show and explain where the P6.7 billion went in a single year," Lacson said. 

Asked about claims that his focus on Taguig is personal, Lacson said: "Well, he asked for it, I'll give it to him."

Lacson said Cayetano's attack on his integrity pushed him to act.  

He also denied any irregularity in his wealth, which rose from P58.7 million in 2022 to P244.9 million in 2025, while he was out of government. He said the money came from a sizable real estate deal with two partners, part of it still uncollected, and that he paid P10.5 million in income tax for taxable year 2023 and about P2.8 million the following year.

The senator noted that these are figures he is sharing voluntarily even though tax returns are confidential. 

"What is wrong with earning when you are not in government?" he said. "If you are in government and you earn, you have more explaining to do." 

On Monday, Lacson also stood by his weekend statement that Cayetano belongs in the Payatas jail in Quezon City, saying he was quoting people who reached out to him. 

"When I said there was an issue in Taguig, so many called right away, either through intermediaries or directly," he said. "It did not originally come from me. I quoted their words — that he should be jailed."

Cayetano has denied the allegations, saying in a Facebook livestream on Sunday: "There are no ghost projects in Taguig. If you can show one, someone should be held accountable."

The two have traded barbs since Cayetano was ousted as Senate president in June.