Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano confronted Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) officials over “selective justice” in the agency’s enforcement of rules on reclamation projects.
During the Senate Subcommittee on Finance’s deliberations on the PRA’s proposed 2027 budget on Tuesday, Cayetano questioned why the agency issued a cease-and-desist order against reclamation projects of the Taguig City government while merely coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the much larger Laguna Lakeshore Road Network (LLRN).
Cayetano said both projects involve the same proponent but appeared to be receiving different treatment from the PRA.
“If you're doing selective justice here, you have two projects. One is more than 10 times bigger, one is 10 times smaller. Same proponent,” Cayetano said.
He also questioned whether the LLRN had submitted the necessary feasibility and environmental studies to the PRA.
“You have to stop all of the illegal reclamation ongoing ngayon yung DPWH project na dambala ang laki compared sa Taguig na hindi nag-submit sa inyo ng feasibility study na hindi nag-submit ng environmental study. So you will ignore that?” Cayetano asked PRA Assistant General Manager Joseph John Literal.
“No, sir,” Literal replied.
“No, no, no, no. You're not coordinating. You do not have a letter to cease and desist. You do not have a letter to show cause,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano pressed Literal on why the agency had not issued a cease-and-desist order against the LLRN.
Literal explained that the PRA had been coordinating with the DPWH, but Cayetano interrupted him and questioned whether the agency had issued any formal order against the project.
Literal maintained that the PRA had a letter with the DPWH.
The PRA later explained that it was conducting a complete staff work process and requiring the DPWH to submit the necessary records and information to regularize the project.
According to the PRA, the DPWH had committed to realigning and redesigning the LLRN and was working to ensure compliance with the agency’s requirements.
The agency also clarified that it was not necessarily ordering the construction to stop, but was addressing unauthorized filling activities in enclosed areas to ensure compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements.
Cayetano also asked the PRA to clarify its jurisdiction over reclamation activities involving the Laguna Lake Development Authority and to apply its rules consistently to projects in the area.
The exchange came amid scrutiny of alleged unauthorized reclamation in Laguna Lake. Senator Panfilo Lacson had earlier cited PRA data showing 13 titles covering about 170 hectares of alleged unauthorized encroachment on the Taguig side of the lake.
Cayetano has denied allegations of illegal reclamation in Taguig and has called for investigations into flood-control and reclamation projects to be conducted consistently across different areas.
