LaLacson calls out continuous ‘illegal reclamation’ at Taguig Lakeshore; Alan Cayetano pushes for fair probe

Lacson also cited information reaching his office indicating that some personalities connected to the Cayetanos of Taguig may have links to the continued impunity.

“Paging DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and LLDA (Laguna Lake Development Authority) — Taken this morning during a joint Ombudsman-PRA-LRA-DPWH on-site inspection at Taguig Lakeshore area… If this isn’t a total display of impunity and disrespect for the law, I don’t know what is,” Lacson said in his post.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2105896113706512507

“Tuloy-tuloy ang illegal reclamation sa Taguig side ng Laguna Lake (Illegal reclamation on the Taguig side of Laguna Lake continues). Somebody feels he is above the law,” he added.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2105897207358800123

Also in the 25-second video, the members of the inspection team were seen inspecting the same area where they witness garbage are being dumped. One inspector was heard asking whether the LLDA had personnel monitoring the area.

Information reaching Lacson’s office showed some individuals claiming to belong to a cause-oriented group went to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday to protest against the local government unit (LGU) of Taguig for the illegal reclamation in the Lakeshore area.

“The names they mentioned as responsible were former Assistant District Engineer of Taguig-Pateros, Lamberto de Leon, Atty. Joel Montales and a certain Arjay Castañeda, all connected to the Cayetanos of Taguig,” according to Lacson.

Meanwhile, in a new Facebook livestream also late Friday, Cayetano said he fully supports the investigations being conducted by constitutional bodies into his bailiwick but insisted that the pursuit of corruption allegations regarding ghost and irregular projects in his home city should be fair.

“We submit completely to all those Constitutional principles, departments, bodies – whether it’s the Ombudsman, DOJ (Department of Justice), NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), at kung ano man na (and whatever) investigative body. Dapat masunod iyan… Imbestigahan niyo kasi karapatan niyo iyan (It should be followed. Investigate it because it’s your right). That’s why, I say, I respect all the ongoing investigation,” Cayetano said during an October 2 livestream.

“We believe in the law. Abogado ako (I’m a lawyer). I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and to follow the law. But the investigation has to be fair,” he added.

The minority leader also said that while he accepts the authority of the agencies tasked with investigating wrongdoing, he objects to how Lacson conducts his own inquiries into projects in Taguig.

He particularly described how contractors are being pressured by Lacson’s team to sign prepared affidavits, calling this coercion and not fact-finding.

“Kapag sinubo mo ang isang affidavit sa isang tao, (at sinabing) ‘pirmahan mo iyan, kung hindi, kakasuhan kita,’ (If you force that affidavit on a person and told him to sign it, if not I will file charges against you), that’s asking him to give false testimony,” he pointed out.

“My point is, in everything we do, the process is important. Hindi pwedeng ‘the end justifies the means,’” he said.

Cayetano insisted there should be a fair and factual process in the probe on Taguig and other flood control projects and warned against overreach.

“It has to be done with the right methodology. It has to be done na factual,” he said.

He said Lacson’s conduct is prohibited yet continues because “he feels that he is above the law at this point in
time, but wala namang forever diyan (but nothing is forever).”

Cayetano then reiterated his call for Filipinos to speak out against the selective investigations that only add to the problems the country is facing.

“Let me talk to all Filipinos regardless of our religion. Iisa bansa natin… Ang dami-dami na nating problema, bakit pa natin pinapadami at pinalalaki pa ang sarili natin mga problema (We have so many problems, why are we multiplying and magnifying all these problems)?” he
said.

“Siguro dapat bilang mga Pilipino, matuto din tayo magsabi (Maybe as Filipinos, we should know how to say) when enough is enough,” he added. — Hannah L. Torregoza