Lacson Discovers 'Passing Through' Modus in Overpriced Flood Control and Infra Projects
August 10, 2025
Lacson Discovers 'Passing Through' Modus in Overpriced Flood Control and Infra Projects
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmwN40WDqGA
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson has discovered a modus operandi involving lawmaker-contractors that may add to the overpricing or substandard construction - or both - of flood control and other infrastructure projects.
Lacson said the scheme, dubbed "passing through," involves a contractor having to pay five to six percent of the project cost when building a project in a legislative district where the lawmaker is a contractor, or where the lawmakers' relatives are contractors.
"For example, if a contractor builds a project in the district of a lawmaker who is a contractor or who has relatives that are contractors, he/she must pay a five-percent 'passing through' fee, like a toll. That already deducts from the cost of the project. This is known in the Department of Public Works and Highways," he said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio Sunday.
"The fee is usually five percent but sometimes it goes up to six. Based on the information we got from contractors, the project is compromised," he added. "How will the contractor be compensated if he/she does not use substandard materials or take shortcuts? The government is thus shortchanged."
When asked how much of the project cost actually goes to the project after the "passing through" fees, along with the taxes and commissions are paid, Lacson said, "sometimes wala pang 40 percent (sometimes less than 40 percent)."
He cited as an example the "shortcut" in the sectioning of a dike or flood control mitigation project, where the project specifications call for 150 meters, but the contractor completes only 50 meters.
In other cases, the contractor does not follow project specifications to drive sheet piles six meters into the ground, but only drives them three meters into the ground. "The dike will be easily damaged because the contractor scrimps on materials," Lacson said.
Still another case involves not mixing gravel with sand, thus weakening the foundation of a flood control project. "If a cyclone hits and the river overflows, the structure is easily destroyed because the foundation is weak," he said.
Lacson also noted that these fees force contractors to pare down their profit margins to 10 percent instead of 15 percent.
But he said what is worse is the cost to human lives when such projects fail. "People die during floods brought by cyclones. That is the worst part," he said.
Also, Lacson said he is curious to see the DPWH's list of flood control projects that it submitted to Malacanang - and curious as well to see if congressmen-contractors will be punished if evidence warrants. "Will congressmen-contractors found liable be actually punished and face charges?" he said.
Lacson also disclosed that some House members had called him after reports came out that he had a list of 67 congressmen who are contractors. Lacson clarified that he merely asked a friend at the opening of the 19th Congress on how many congressmen are contractors.
"They told me that not all their contracts are with government, and most are with private companies. I chuckled and said I don't have a list and I didn't know they or their relatives were contractors until they told me," he said.
Lacson, Natuklasan ang 'Passing Through' Modus sa Overpriced Flood Control at Infra Projects
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmwN40WDqGA
Natuklasan ni Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson ang bagong modus operandi na kinasasangkutan ng lawmaker-contractors, na maaaring nakadagdag sa overpricing at substandard na paggawa ng flood control at ibang infrastructure projects.
Ani Lacson, sa ilalim ng "passing through" scheme, pwersadong magbayad ang contractor ng lima hanggang anim na porsyento ng project cost pag gagawa ng proyekto sa distrito kung saang contractor ang mambabatas o kamaganak niya.
"Halimbawa ang hari sa distrito ay ang congressman na at the same time contractor o kamagaanak na contractor. Pag may contractor na papasok doon, magbabayad ng 5% passing through, parang toll. Bawas na kaagad yan sa cost ng proyekto. Alam na alam sa Department of Public Works and Highways ito," aniya sa panayam sa DZBB nitong Linggo.
"May passing-through fee na 5% minsan nagiging 6% pa raw. Pag compute natin lahat lahat, base sa mga info na gathered namin from contractors kasi vina-validate namin from other contractors na nagde-deal sa DPWH, ang computation pag dineduct mo lahat na fees at commission at kung anu-ano pa, kawawa talaga ang proyekto," dagdag niya. "Saan kukunin ng contractor kundi mag-substandard or shortcut niya? Shortchanged niya ang gobyerno."
Nang tinanong kung magkano na lang ang matitira para sa proyekto matapos bayaran ang "passing through" fee, komisyon at ibang buwis, tugon ni Lacson: "sometimes, wala pang 40 percent."
Isa sa mga halimbawa ng "shortcut' na binanggit ni Lacson ay ang paggawa ng 50 metro ng dike o flood control mitigation project, sa halip na 150 metro na ayon sa project specification.
May ibang kaso rin kung saan sa halip na anim na metro ang pagbaon ng sheet piles ay tatlong metro lang ang pagbaon. "Gigiba ang dike kasi kulang ang baon kasi tinitipid ang materyales di nakikita yan kasi nakabaon," ani Lacson.
Ang isa pang halimbawa ay ang hindi paghalo ng graba at buhangin sa pundasyon ng flood control project. "Pag nagbagyo at overflow ang river ang daling gibain noon kasi mahina ang hold ng foundation, walang graba," aniya.
Dagdag ni Lacson, dahil sa mga fee na pinapabayad sa contractor, bumaba ang kanilang kita mula 15 porsyento sa 10 porsyento.
Nguni't ang pinakamasama ay ang may namamatay dahil sa pagguho ng mga proyekto. "Namamatayan pa tayo ng kababayan nating nabagyo, yan ang pinakamasama," aniya.
Samantala, nais ni Lacson na makita ang listahan ng DPWH ng flood control projects na isinumite nito sa Malacanang - at makita rin kung mapaparusahan ang mambabatas na contractor kung may sapat na katibayan. "Talaga bang ang kontratistang congressmen mafile-an ba ng kaso, mapaparusahan?" aniya.
Ibinunyag din ni Lacson na may mga kongresistang tumawag sa kanya matapos lumabas ang ulat na may listahan siya ng 67 mambabatas na contractor. Nilinaw ni Lacson na nagtanong lamang siya sa kaibigan noong 2022 kung ilang kongresista ang contractor.
"Hindi naman lahat na kontrata ay sa gobyerno. Karamihan daw naman ay pribado. Ang tipong ganon. So natawa lang ako. Sagot ko wala akong listahan, di ko alam asawa o anak mo pala ay contractor, wala akong kamalay malay yan. Natawa ako sa sarili ko nalaman ko tuloy," aniya.
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