Ping seeks forensic check of damaged infra projects
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday called on civil engineers’ associations to organize inspection teams that can examine roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged by recent floods caused by the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” and cyclones.
According to him, civil engineers and their forensic expertise can play a major role in establishing accountability not only for flood control projects but for other infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
“They can use forensic analysis to determine if the damage stemmed from faulty structural design or implementation … If there were deficiencies in the structural design or implementation, the contractor should be prosecuted,” Lacson said in a statement.
Establishing responsibility
“As of now, no one is being held accountable. If we are to go after those responsible, we must start inspecting projects implemented in the last five years or so,” he added.
The senator stressed that forensic inspections could help establish responsibility and identify those who should be held accountable, including contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and politicians who are proponents of the infrastructure projects.
According to him, this accountability drive should cover not only flood control projects but also other infrastructure projects whose failures may have been exposed by recent flooding.
Lacson earlier said the government risks wasting billions of pesos more on flood control projects without a clear, long-term program to guide spending as he questioned the proposed P107.4-billion allocation for flood control under the 2027 national budget.
He said the proposed funding demanded scrutiny, particularly after the government had already spent P1.939 trillion on the DPWH’s flood control program from 2011 to 2025.
There was zero allocation for such projects in the 2026 national budget following the multibillion peso flood control controversy that led to the filing of corruption and plunder charges against several former and present lawmakers and DPWH officials.
