Metro Manila, Philippines – After Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that Sen. Ping Lacson’s net worth doubled in 2025, the ex-police chief-turned-lawmaker defended his integrity, saying the Senate minority leader “crossed the line” by attacking his character.
In a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday, July 18, Cayetano hurled corruption accusations at Lacson, claiming that the latter’s net worth reported in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) doubled in value in 2025.
“As of this morning, I’m still counting informants and witnesses, directly or through intermediaries, willing to provide information and evidence to put him in his proper place — the Payatas, QC [Quezon City] jail,” Lacson countered in a social media post on Sunday, July 19.
In an earlier post on Saturday, Lacson strongly denied Cayetano’s calculations.
“Hindi nag-doble ang net worth sa SALN ko in 2025 compared to 2022 when I left the Senate. Actually, more than four times ang increase at ₱244.9M compared to ₱58.7M in 2022 — the year I left government,” Lacson clarified.
[Translation: “My net worth in my 2025 SALN did not just double compared to 2022 when I left the Senate. Actually, the increase is more than fourfold at ₱244.9M compared to ₱58.7M in 2022 — the year I left government.”]
“Whatever money I have, I definitely earned legitimately through some real estate deals and other legitimate businesses with two other business partners as a private individual, and I paid ₱10.5M and ₱2.8M respectively as reflected in my ITRs [income tax returns],” he added.
Lacson continued his counter-offensive, claiming that there were “ghost projects” in Taguig City, the political bailiwick of the Cayetanos. He also pointed out Cayetano’s alleged 2025 budget insertions.
“Out of his ₱6.79B budget insertions under the 2025 GAA [General Appropriations Act], 68 out of the 70 projects were implemented. So, only two projects, equivalent to around ₱75M, are left unreleased or unobligated. In short, a total of ₱6.715B ang nagastos. While you do the math, we will keep digging,” Lacson warned.
‘Weaponized’ justice?
During his Facebook livestream on Saturday, Cayetano also condemned the recent arrests of Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, describing the developments as a weaponization of the justice system.
“Kinulong sila hindi dahil sa kaso kundi dahil sa konsensya nila. Wine-weaponize ang DOJ [Department of Justice], ang Office of the Ombudsman, not for justice,” Cayetano claimed.
[Translation: “They were jailed not because of the merits of their cases, but because of their conscience. The DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman are being weaponized, and it is not for the sake of justice.”]
Both lawmakers are currently facing plunder charges. Marcoleta was arrested over ₱75 million in allegedly undeclared campaign donations during his 2025 senatorial bid, while Estrada is facing charges over alleged flood-control kickbacks. The two are currently detained at the Payatas jail facility — the same prison where Lacson insists Cayetano belongs.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently launched a probe into funding anomalies involving the 2019 SEA Games, where Cayetano served as the organizing committee chairperson.
Cayetano dismissed the investigation, calling it a blatant attempt to intimidate and distract him from the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ: Arrests, probes a distraction on Duterte impeachment – senator-judges
