As much as P3.7 billion in public funds was wasted on “illegal” reclamation projects in a part of Taguig City in Laguna Lake, and the documents have already been submitted by Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson to the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Based on official records and our investigation, the total cost of identified completed, ongoing (and suspended) DPWH flood control and multi-purpose projects along the ‘illegal’ Laguna Lakeshore reclamation areas in Taguig City has so far reached P3.713 billion,” Lacson said in a post on X.
“These do not include other anomalous slope protection and flood mitigation projects along Taguig River involving double appropriations and ‘ghost’ projects using recycled photographs in different ‘completed’ projects, for billing purposes,” he added.
Lacson said the four allegedly illegally reclaimed lands in Taguig City were initially identified as covered by “fraudulently issued land title: one is covered by an administrative patent of 9,204 square meters under an Original Certificate of Title (OCT); the 5,000 square meters under the OCT is covered by judicial/ordinary land registration processing: i 181,077 square meters under a Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) covered by a homestead patent, and 193,027 square meters under a TCT.
Lacson identified the top five contractors involved in the projects worth a total of P2.372 billion: were:
- Dahl Construction: P858.22 million consisting of five solo projects worth P571.5 million and four joint ventures with a total of P286.7 million;
- J.C. Uyecio: P483.1 million covering four joint ventures;
- Toughbuilt: P434.2 million covering three solo projects;
- Topnotch: P329.9 million consisting of two joint ventures with Core Check and one with Beam Team; and
- GR Fervidal: P266.6 million covering five solo multi-purpose building projects.
In an interview on the Storycon program on One news, Lacson said he believes that those who obtained titles for the “illegally reclaimed lands” have contacts at the Register of Deeds in Taguig City Hall.
“Mga dummies ito, hindi lutang ang pangalan kaya nire-record check para malaman kung sino ang tunay na nasa likod,” he said.
‘HIRAP NA HIRAP KAMI ‘DYAN SA TAGUIG’
Lacson also revealed the complaints of Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) officials regarding the alleged harassment and intimidation they experienced from Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to stop their inspection and investigation of the Taguig reclamation projects in Laguna Lake.
According to Lacson, a PRA official told him that he was summoned to Cayetano’s office during the budget deliberations in October 2025 and was threatened that the 2026 budget of the Office of the President would be suspended if the inspection of the reclamation projects in the Taguig City part of Laguna Lake was not stopped.
The PRA is under the supervision of the OP.
“Ang kuwento nila sa amin, “hirap na hirap kami dyan sa Taguig,” pati si Parumog ng LLDA, na-boldyak din in one of the hearings,” Lacson recounted on the Storycon program on One News.
“Using your position to harass agency heads and officials so they won’t speak up, I think it’s about time that should be stopped,” he added.
To continue the inspection, a PRA official pretended to eat at a place in Taytay with his family and flew a drone to capture images of the reclamation projects in Taguig.
Lacson reiterated that the Taguig reclamation projects had no permits from the PRA and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), which allegedly reached as much as 85 hectares, peaking in 2018 but his staff are backtracking to determine what year it actually started.
He stated that instead of soil, garbage from Taguig that was no longer dumped in Montalban, Rizal and construction materials from buildings constructed in BGC were used as fill for the reclamation projects.
One of the requirements of Taguig City Hall before issuing a building permit was allegedly that their discarded construction materials had to be brought to Laguna Lake.
Lacson assured that he would not stop until those responsible for the matter are held accountable.# (RRN)
