Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Wednesday, 27 August, that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has become a playground for criminal syndicates as additional information on the mafia-like activities of its engineering offices in various parts of the country continues to surface.

Lacson cited additional information reaching him on the involvement of DPWH officials in anomalous flood control projects, including projects that were not in the report submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

"There are so many irregularities involving the district engineering offices. The district engineer points to contractors and borrows their licenses, which he will use to implement the project," he said.

"There are also feelers that there are irregularities in even the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board. The DPWH has become a playground for syndicates," he added.

In an interview on DZRH radio, Lacson noted these syndicate-like activities are not only in Bulacan, but also in other areas like San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.

During his privilege speech last 20 August, Lacson detailed the corruption behind failed and ghost flood control projects in other areas such as Pampanga, La Union, and Oriental Mindoro.

Lacson also cited information reaching him showing there were many questionable transactions with fly-by-night contractors.

He cited the case of Darcy and Anna Builders, which bagged several flood control project contracts in Bulacan.

Lacson said the "funders" or lawmakers who pushed for insertions for the tainted projects in the budget remain emboldened because there is no transparency in the budget process, and the projects cannot be traced to them.

He said this greed was behind the corruption in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, where the DPWH was given a bigger budget than the education sector - a violation of the 1987 Constitution.

The subsidy of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for 2025 was removed similarly because of such greed, according to the senator.

"Because of such greed, the funders sought to accommodate funding for the projects at the expense of PhilHealth and other agencies. That was the first time I heard of the regular budget being realigned to the unprogrammed fund. Next thing we know, they may target the automatic appropriations next," he said.

Lacson reiterated the fight for full transparency in the budgeting process, so lawmakers who propose amendments or realignments will be identified and held accountable if the projects turn out to be anomalous or "ghosts."