Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson claims that, according to a statement handwritten by the late Public Works Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, Senator Rodante Marcoleta had received P500 million in “allocables” related to flood control projects. Lacson clarified that though the alleged allocation is “not proper,” it is not necessarily “illegal.” But Marcoleta is refuting Lacson’s claims, saying his evidence is incomplete and lacks context.
During the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Wednesday, May 6, Lacson said that Marcoleta had initially asked for P1.5 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in exchange for confirming Manuel Bonoan as the Public Works secretary, but was only given P500 million.
Marcoleta, who represented SAGIP Partylist in Congress before his Senate term, chaired the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) Committee on Public Works and Highways in 2022. During this time, Bonoan was appointed as the DPWH secretary — a position he vacated in September 2025 amid the flood control corruption scandal.
Marcoleta was sacked from the CA in 2024, and though no official reason was given by the House of Representatives, his removal followed his opposition to the House’s investigation into Vice President Sara Duterte’s use of allocated funds.
In a privilege speech later on Wednesday, Marcoleta denied Lacson’s allegations and accused the Blue Ribbon Committee chair of casting doubt on him. “Hindi na po ito paghahanap ng katotohanan. Ito ay pagpapalutang ng duda sa pamamagitan ng isang palabas,” he said.
He further stated that he was only endorsing the flood control projects that Lacson mentioned. “Kung ang pag-indorso ng mga proyekto sa DPWH ay basehan ni Sen. Lacson ng pagpapaimbestiga sa akin, hindi ba’t halos dapat na ang mga senador ay imbestigahan na rin?”
ABS-CBN News reports that Lacson says Marcoleta has not been in his right mind. “Ang nagbago si Sen. Marcoleta kasi nawala siya sa hulog. Hindi na siya in sync with reality,” Lacson said. “Parang hindi niya matanggap na napalitan siyang Blue Ribbon [Committee chair].”
Lacson was appointed chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in November 2025, replacing Marcoleta, amid the Senate’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.
