‘Corruption-ridden’ PCAB needs full reset: Lacson

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has called for a full-scale overhaul of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), decrying its role in a deepening corruption scandal involving substandard and nonexistent flood control projects.

Lacson described the PCAB as a “low-key yet corruption-ridden regulatory body,” pointing to systemic abuses, including the alleged sale of accreditations, extortion targeting contractors, and glaring conflicts of interest among board members.

“A complete overhaul of the PCAB board is in order at this point,” Lacson said.

He lamented that the PCAB, in tandem with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), has “methodically punched" the country “in the gut, knocking out” the people’s hard-earned tax payments.

Lacson’s remarks follow the reported resignation of PCAB Executive Director Herbert Matienzo, which Trade Secretary Cristina Roque attributed to “personal reasons.”

The resignation came amid mounting scrutiny after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a probe into the alleged “accreditation-for-sale” scheme.

Lacson previously exposed irregularities in PCAB’s operations, including board members with construction companies securing government contracts, noting it is “a clear conflict of interest.”

He also alleged that some PCAB officials were extorting contractors in exchange for favorable accreditation outcomes.

In response to the unfolding scandal, Trade Secretary Roque announced that the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP) and its implementing boards, including the PCAB, have been placed under her direct supervision.

On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Lacson lamented what he described as a worsening culture of corruption within government, singling out the DPWH and certain members of Congress for their alleged collusion in manipulating the National Expenditure Program.

“Nakakapagod (It’s tiring). When I left the Senate three years ago, the stench of corruption was limited to some graft-ridden agencies known for the malevolent execution of their projects. Now, the stench has penetrated the corridors of the National Expenditure Program through insertions with DPWH and Congress colluding,” Lacson said.