Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has raised concerns over what he describes as a systemic corruption scheme involving lawmakers, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and contractors. He claims that budget “insertions” into flood control and other infrastructure projects were abused to funnel massive kickbacks.
According to Lacson, senators alone inserted at least ₱100 billion into the DPWH’s 2025 budget — and he believes many of these insertions were made in collusion with corrupt DPWH officials to line their own pockets.
He warns that district engineers and other DPWH officials are being used as “bagmen” for powerful contractors and “funders,” making the infrastructure budget more of a gambling table than a public works plan.
Lacson describes the scandal as an “inside‑job robbery” against the Filipino people, calling for the prosecution of everyone involved and pushing for institutional reforms to make budget insertions more transparent.