Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Monday warned that corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) may be more deeply entrenched than previously believed, following a foiled bribery attempt by a DPWH official targeting Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste over the weekend.

Lacson said the arrest of DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer Abelardo Calalo supports a troubling theory that some district officials are no longer acting as independent implementers but have instead become “legmen” and even “bagmen” for powerful contractors or lawmakers, whom he described as “funders” inserting projects into the national budget.

“Calalo is far from being a ‘big fish.’ His arrest reinforces my theory that some DPWH officials, at least at the district engineering level, have already been relegated to being legmen and worse, bagmen of some powerful contractors or funders responsible for the insertions in the budget,” Lacson said.

He stressed that the investigation must go beyond Calalo’s actions and uncover the forces behind him.

According to Lacson, intelligence reaching his office indicated that the bribery attempt was tied to P3.6 billion worth of “approved” budget under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in the form of kickbacks. He explained that the alleged amount represented 10 percent, or P360 million, of the allocation—an increase from the usual 5 to 6 percent “passing through” or “parking fee” supposedly received by district representatives with jurisdiction over project sites.

"Somebody more powerful must be behind this whole scheme. Kasi malaki yan P3.6 billion lahat ang sinasabi doon, approved under the 2025 GAA (because this involves P3.6 billion worth of projects approved under the 2025 General Appropriations Act)," he said.

Lacson urged authorities to conduct a full-scale investigation into the broader network behind Calalo’s actions, warning against simply filing a case and moving on.

While some have called for the relief or reassignment of implicated officials, Lacson argued that the issue is far too systemic for such shallow remedies. He cited reforms enforced by former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson under the Aquino administration as an example of leadership that once managed to “rein in” corruption in the department.

“We need a surgical solution. Kicking out people is a simple solution but it is not the answer. Corruption has become systemic in the DPWH so a surgical solution is needed, not a band-aid one,” he said.