By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The war of words between Senators Panfilo Lacson and Alan Peter Cayetano intensified Sunday, with Lacson declaring that his colleague should be in the Quezon City Jail over what he described as alleged corruption linked to billions of pesos in congressional budget allocations.
The latest exchange stemmed from Cayetano’s earlier accusation that the net worth of Lacson and fellow Senator Erwin Tulfo had more than doubled, an allegation Lacson has repeatedly denied.
In a post on X, Lacson said attacks on his personal integrity had crossed the line, stressing that his reputation had been built over decades of public service.
“As of this morning, I’m still counting informants and witnesses, directly or through intermediaries, who are willing to provide information and evidence to put him in his proper place—the Payatas, Quezon City Jail,” Lacson wrote.
Lacson maintained that his assets were legally acquired through legitimate business ventures, including real estate investments, and rejected any suggestion that his wealth was accumulated through improper means.
Turning the tables on Cayetano, the veteran lawmaker renewed his allegations that the former Senate president benefited from ₱6.79 billion in budget insertions under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, while insisting that he had never inserted projects into the national budget throughout his years in the Senate.
He further alleged that 68 of the 70 projects covered by the supposed allocations had already been implemented, leaving only two projects worth approximately ₱75 million still unobligated.
According to Lacson, this meant that around ₱6.715 billion had already been spent, adding that he and his team would continue gathering information related to the projects, including alleged “ghost projects” in Taguig City, Cayetano’s political bailiwick.
Lacson also drew parallels to accusations made against him nearly two decades ago, recalling that former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Victor Corpus and businessman Ador Mawanay had once accused him of involvement in illegal drugs and maintaining undisclosed bank accounts overseas.
He noted that both men later withdrew their allegations and publicly apologized, saying the experience reinforced his resolve to defend his integrity whenever it is challenged.
The senator said integrity remains the most valuable legacy left to him by his parents and vowed to continue confronting what he described as false accusations.
ia/xf
