MANILA, Philippines — The political clash between Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Alan Peter Cayetano has intensified, with Lacson defending his anti-corruption campaign after the Cayetano siblings raised allegations that members of the Senate minority were being threatened.
Lacson on Tuesday said that if his campaign against corruption is making corrupt individuals uncomfortable, then that could be a sign that his efforts are having an impact.
“If my fight against corruption intimidates the corrupt, I must be doing something right and good for the country,” Lacson said in a post on X.
The statement came after Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, raised concerns over alleged threats involving members of the minority bloc during Monday’s impeachment proceedings.
Cayetano says the alleged threats are ‘obvious’
During the Senate impeachment trial, Pia Cayetano asked former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang whether judges had ever experienced threats because of their profession.
Tang said she had not encountered such threats in connection with pending Sandiganbayan cases.
Pia then responded that she and her colleagues had experienced them.
Alan Peter Cayetano later told reporters that it was supposedly “obvious” who was behind the alleged threats against members of the opposition.
He cited Lacson as an example, referring to claims that the senator wanted Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial completed by December and that cases could subsequently be filed against members of the opposition.
Cayetano, however, did not identify a specific person as being responsible for the alleged threats.
When asked who could be behind them, he argued that it would be unlikely for members of the opposition to threaten fellow opposition senators.
The allegations have not been independently established, making the distinction between an accusation and a verified threat particularly important.
Lacson denies saying the impeachment trial must end by December
Lacson also pushed back against Cayetano’s characterization of his position on the impeachment trial.
The veteran senator said he never stated that the impeachment proceedings should be completed by December.
“A classic case of putting words into my mouth,” Lacson said, adding that he does not have the power or influence to dictate the trial’s timetable.
This clarification is significant because Cayetano had used the supposed December timeline as part of his argument about the alleged pressure facing minority senators.
The dispute goes beyond the impeachment trial
The latest confrontation is also connected to a much larger battle over alleged corruption in government infrastructure projects.
Lacson has been pursuing allegations involving flood-control and infrastructure projects in Taguig City, Cayetano’s political bailiwick.
His office has submitted at least 45 case studies involving what Lacson described as systemic anomalies in government flood-control infrastructure projects to the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is conducting a fact-finding investigation into the allegations.
Earlier, Lacson submitted documentary and testimonial evidence concerning alleged irregularities in Taguig projects. He said the materials could potentially support cases involving plunder, malversation and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, although these remain allegations subject to investigation and due process.
Lacson has accused Taguig projects of serious irregularities
The senator previously pointed to what he described as possible double billing, duplicate appropriations and the use of the same photographs to support separate infrastructure project claims.
In one example, Lacson said two supposedly different projects had separate appropriations, technical descriptions, locations and contractors but allegedly used the same photograph for billing.
In another case, he alleged that a single slope-protection project received two separate budget appropriations and that both were billed and collected.
These claims have not been adjudicated as criminal wrongdoing. They are among the matters being referred to or examined by authorities.
Cayetano rejects the accusations
Cayetano has repeatedly denied allegations linking him to ghost or anomalous infrastructure projects in Taguig.
During the earlier dispute, he accused Lacson of conducting a “demolition job,” “trial by publicity” and “witch hunt” against him and Taguig.
Cayetano said he was prepared to answer the accusations but wanted them addressed in the proper forum and through the proper process.
The Philippine Star also reported the continuing exchange between the two senators over alleged anomalous flood-control and reclamation projects in Taguig, showing that their dispute has expanded well beyond personal political disagreements.
New witnesses add another layer to the controversy
The controversy escalated further on Monday when Lacson said new witnesses had approached the Ombudsman with information concerning alleged deliveries of “boxes of money” connected to infrastructure projects in Taguig.
According to Lacson, one alleged delivery involved millions of pesos.
These statements are allegations being evaluated by the Ombudsman and should not be treated as established facts or proof of criminal liability.
The development nevertheless adds pressure to an already heated political confrontation between Lacson and Cayetano.
Why the Senate fight matters
The dispute comes as the Senate is simultaneously dealing with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, investigations into alleged corruption in public infrastructure, and continuing political divisions between the majority and minority blocs.
Earlier Senate confrontations have already included disagreements over impeachment procedures, Senate rules, flood-control investigations and the role of the minority.
The Inquirer previously reported that Cayetano’s minority bloc had raised constitutional and procedural concerns surrounding the Senate’s leadership changes and the impeachment proceedings.
Meanwhile, previous reporting also documented clashes between Lacson and Cayetano over the Taguig investigation, including accusations that the probe was politically motivated and Lacson’s insistence that investigations must be based on evidence.
The bigger question now
What began as a dispute over alleged infrastructure anomalies has now become intertwined with the Senate’s political divisions and the impeachment trial.
Cayetano’s camp is raising concerns about alleged intimidation of minority senators, while Lacson insists that his anti-corruption campaign should not be interpreted as political pressure.
At the same time, the Ombudsman is examining evidence submitted by Lacson concerning alleged irregularities in Taguig infrastructure projects.
For now, there is no verified finding that the alleged threats came from Lacson, the administration, or any specific individual identified by Cayetano.
Likewise, allegations involving Taguig infrastructure projects remain under investigation and have not resulted in a final judicial finding of guilt against Cayetano.
What is clear is that the political battle is far from over.
And as the Ombudsman continues examining the evidence, the next round of revelations could determine whether the Lacson-Cayetano clash remains a political war of words—or develops into a much more serious accountability battle.
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