Ping spurns Alan Peter’s ceasefire bid
Lacson dismissed Cayetano’s supposed offer as ‘hypocrisy aimed at buying time to recover and reconsolidate for his next sneaky move.’
Lacson dismissed Cayetano’s supposed offer as ‘hypocrisy aimed at buying time to recover and reconsolidate for his next sneaky move.’
The verbal spat between Senators Ping Lacson and Alan Peter Cayetano showed no signs of easing after Lacson reportedly turned down a “ceasefire” offer from the minority leader.
The two have been locked in a verbal duel since May, but tensions escalated after Lacson unearthed alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Taguig — Cayetano’s bailiwick — dating back to 2020.
The findings of Lacson’s office were turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday, with a recommendation to file plunder, graft and malversation charges.
They are also set to be tackled in a parallel investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which is expected to resume in the coming weeks.
“Ceasefire my foot! What kind of man declares war, armed with a toy gun and with just his saliva as ammunition, then uses intermediaries to ask for a ceasefire when confronted by real bombs,” Lacson said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday.
Lacson dismissed Cayetano’s supposed offer as “hypocrisy aimed at buying time to recover and reconsolidate for his next sneaky move.”
Cayetano has yet to respond.
The purported truce offer, reportedly made through intermediaries, came after Lacson announced that the findings would be presented before the Blue Ribbon Committee, with Cayetano’s estranged brother, PTV general manager Lino Cayetano, expected to testify.
Flat denial
The findings stemmed from Lacson’s independent probe into infrastructure projects in Taguig, which allegedly uncovered “ghost” projects, while others were allegedly double-billed or paid twice.
The scheme allegedly involved recycling photos from previously completed contracts to justify billings and collect payments for purportedly new projects.
The alleged anomalous projects involved P14.4 billion from 2020, when Cayetano was still Speaker of the House of Representatives, through 2025.
Cayetano has repeatedly denied Lacson’s allegations that Taguig had “ghost” or non-existent projects, arguing that the city remains flood-free compared with neighboring cities.
He also described the allegations as “malicious,” saying the word was a play on “mali” (wrong) and “delicious” because it sounded good or appealing to the public.
Cayetano likewise denied that his camp had attempted to derail the resumption of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the flood control projects, saying he would confront the allegations head-on.
