Lacson: PRA To Seize Illegally Reclaimed Areas In Taguig

The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is moving to seize substantial areas of illegally reclaimed land in Taguig City, Sen. Panfilo Lacson revealed, with the contractors behind 32 “ghost” flood control projects to face plunder charges for billing the government using recycled photographs.

In an interview over dzBB on Sunday, Aug. 9, Lacson explained that because the local government and the contractors completely bypassed the PRA’s regulatory authority, the state has the right to seize the newly created land.

“The logical conclusion there is to forfeit in favor of the national government, and that has been confirmed by the PRA, because there was not a single permit,” Lacson said, noting that PRA officials and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have already met in his office to coordinate the proceedings.

Even if the Taguig City government claims the reclaimed areas are local “government property,” Lacson stressed that local government units (LGUs) are not exempt from securing necessary clearance from the PRA, the Laguna Lake Development Authority and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“The local government still cannot do reclamation work without the needed reclamation permits,” Lacson said.

He cited the experience of Sen. Francis Escudero, who, during his tenure as Sorsogon governor, ensured he secured the proper DENR permits before undertaking provincial reclamation projects.

“Some portions of the lands where multipurpose buildings and parks are being built could be owned by the LGU. But even the LGU cannot reclaim land without the needed permits, or the land will be forfeited in favor of the national government,” Lacson added.

Plunder for contractors

Lacson maintained that the 32 contracts, officially labeled as “slope protection and mitigation,” were a front for illegal land reclamation.

He pointed out the physical impossibility of the projects, noting that sheet piles were driven into open water rather than actual slopes.

“What is your slope protection if there is no slope because you put it in the water?” Lacson argued.

To create the land, dump trucks bound for the Rizal sanitary landfill in Montalban were allegedly intercepted at C6 road and their garbage was dumped directly into Laguna Lake to serve as filling materials.

Lacson noted that some of these newly reclaimed areas are now illegally being titled to private individuals through tax declarations.

According to Lacson, two contractors have agreed to be witnesses to expose how companies traded and sold contracts.

Contractors who did not cooperate – whose companies Lacson identified as including St. Timothy, St. Gerrard, Discaya, Topnotch Catalyst Builders and Dahl – could face plunder complaints.

The senator said the contractors brazenly used photos of other completed infrastructure located kilometers away to claim their final billings from the government.

Geotagged photos, billing records and official DPWH documents have already been forwarded to the ombudsman.

Earlier, Lacson revealed that the reclaimed area has reached roughly 84 hectares, but PRA personnel can no longer physically inspect the site because they were being followed and harassed.

To survey the damage, one PRA official had to bring his children to neighboring Taytay, pretending to buy street food, just to safely launch a drone over the Taguig site.

Despite the earlier intimidation, Lacson noted that the PRA is now “very enthusiastic” about resuming the forfeiture process.

Further verification is underway to determine the exact total of the illegally reclaimed land, which Lacson said previously stood at 47 hectares but has recently expanded by another 37 hectares.

Sibling insertions

The multibillion-peso funding for the anomalous Taguig projects was allegedly secured through the national budget by sibling-Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano.

Lacson previously accused Sen. Alan of holding the Office of the President’s budget “hostage” during the November 2025 plenary deliberations to pressure the PRA – which is attached to the OP – into suspending its investigation into the Taguig reclamations.

While Lacson’s team is still calculating the total cost of the 32 slope protection contracts, he pointed to a P6.79-billion insertion made by Sen. Alan in the 2025 General Appropriations Act specifically for the area.

When asked if Sen. Pia had any involvement in the projects, Lacson confirmed that she also channeled billions into the same location.

“As of now she doesn’t, but in the insertion, yes, I think around P4.7 billion insertion, 2025,” Lacson said.

Alan Peter Cayetano has denied Lacson’s accusations, saying there are no ghost flood control projects in Taguig.

Flood control inquiry

With severe weather plunging communities underwater and causing public infrastructure to crumble, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee is gearing up for a massive investigation into the government’s squandered flood control budgets and substandard public works.

Lacson, the committee’s vice chairman, stressed in that a public inquiry has become incredibly urgent as Filipinos see the over the failure of “trillions” in government funds to prevent the current crisis.

Addressing the public’s mounting anger, Blue Ribbon chairman Erwin Tulfo confirmed in a separate radio interview that the panel would tackle the flood control anomaly head-on, while also expanding the probe to include other failing infrastructure.

“Apart from the new names and issues connected to flood control mess, we will also investigate substandard projects. Bridges, roads, and public works that clearly failed to meet standards. We will investigate them one by one,” Tulfo said.

The urgency of Tulfo’s expansion was underscored after a major retaining wall along the EDSA-Ayala northbound lane in Makati City collapsed following a series of typhoons, paralyzing metro traffic.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon flagged the structure, revealing the collapsed segment was dangerously built using light board material instead of reinforced concrete.

Tulfo’s confirmation of the Blue Ribbon hearings came after he, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla met last Friday and agreed to let the Office of the Ombudsman solely handle the flood control investigation.

Lacson revealed he had previously spoken to Tulfo about expediting the legal process by proactively submitting his own evidence regarding the anomalies – including the illegal Taguig reclamations – straight to the anti-graft body.

While the ombudsman is already taking action, Lacson emphasized that public Senate hearings offer a unique level of transparency and serve as a powerful preemptive deterrent against corrupt politicians and contractors.

Lacson maintained that the final decision to call a hearing rested entirely with the committee leadership.

Taking up the mantle, Tulfo assured the public that his committee is already coordinating with the DPWH and other related agencies to strictly enforce accountability.

“We will be strict in gathering rock-solid evidence, and we will conduct this strictly by the book,” Tulfo said.