MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is expected to issue cease-and-desist orders against alleged unauthorized reclamation projects in Taguig City once it receives a request from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson said DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon assured him that the department would immediately issue the orders after receiving the PRA’s request.
“This will prevent the worsening of the situation where government money is wasted on contractors who are doing the wrong thing,” Lacson said in a dzMM Teleradyo interview.
Lacson said their findings indicate that reclamation activities in Taguig cover at least 85 hectares.
He also warned that the projects could threaten the Laguna Lake ecosystem, particularly amid concerns over garbage disposal in the area.
The fisherfolk group Pamalakaya has called for an investigation into what it described as unauthorized reclamation activities in Taguig’s portion of Laguna Lake. The group said the projects have displaced fisherfolk and urban poor communities in Taguig and neighboring Muntinlupa.
Lacson said the reclamation activities continued despite concerns raised over their environmental impact and the stability of reclaimed areas.
He previously alleged that Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano threatened PRA officials to stop their investigation into the projects. Cayetano has disputed the allegations.
Lacson also said the PRA informed him that the Taguig City government had not secured a permit for the reclamation activities.
Authorities are now reviewing property title numbers associated with the projects to determine how they were issued and whether portions of Laguna Lake were improperly titled.
Lacson said investigators are also examining whether reclamation activities were presented as slope-protection projects.