Sandigan Orders Arrest Of Party-List Representative

The Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James Ang Jr. on charges of retaining an interest in a construction firm that won P214 million in contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways and received P199 million in payments while serving in Congress.

Critics call such lawmakers “cong-tractors.”

In a resolution dated July 27, the anti-graft court’s Third Division found probable cause to proceed with the trial of Ang for violating Section 3(h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).

The court also directed the issuance of a hold-departure order against Ang.

The court’s action stems from a recent indictment by the Office of the Ombudsman dated July 23.

In a separate resolution, the Third Division also ordered the arrest of former Sultan Kudarat representative Arnulfo Go and three former local officials over separate graft charges, also moving to bar them from leaving the country.

Go was charged along with former Lebak municipal mayor Dionesio Begas Besana, municipal accountant Allan Gayosa Bayani and municipal treasurer Mario Abasolo Labrador.

They are facing charges for Malversation of Public Funds under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code.

After reviewing the supporting documents, the court found probable cause to hold them for trial based on an earlier ombudsman resolution on Nov. 27, 2025.

More double billing cases in Taguig infrastructure

Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s office has uncovered more cases of alleged “double billing and collection” involving infrastructure projects in Taguig City and will soon submit the evidence, including a supposed money trail, to the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a post on X, Lacson said his team documented additional projects that allegedly used the same photographs for billing purposes despite involving different appropriations, locations and contractors.

“Before some preacher dismisses ‘sharing photographs’ to bill and collect in Taguig’s anomalous infrastructure projects as an isolated case, there are more of the same in our files. All these and more, including proof of the money trail, will find their way to the ombudsman soon,” Lacson said.

The senator’s latest disclosure followed his posts over the weekend of alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects in Taguig, the political bailiwick of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

He also released documents showing a slope protection project had been funded through two separate appropriations.

Lacson said the latest findings add to the documentary evidence earlier gathered by his team in what he described as questionable infrastructure projects in Taguig, adding in an earlier post that the volume of evidence had reached a point where it could be described as “shooting fish in a barrel.”

Cayetano has dismissed the accusations and challenged Lacson to present complete details.

“I don’t know where today’s allegations came from. I’m not the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, I’m not a regional director and I’m not an engineer,” Cayetano told reporters before the opening of the Senate’s second regular session.

The Senate minority leader said he has consistently exposed irregularities involving contractors, including during Senate inquiries into the collapse of a bridge in Isabela, and maintained that allegations should be properly verified.

Cayetano also rejected allegations linking him to supposed budget insertions for Taguig projects, saying he could not respond to claims that lacked specific details.

“Tell me exactly what project, how much, where it is and what the allegation is so I can answer it,” he said.

He denied knowledge of any ghost projects in Taguig. – With Mark Ernest Villeza