MANILA (July 20) — A political feud between two senators escalated Sunday as Sen. Panfilo Lacson hit back at Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano over allegations concerning his wealth—and warned that he was gathering evidence that could put Cayetano behind bars.
The clash erupted after Cayetano questioned the sharp increase in Lacson’s declared net worth, saying in a Facebook livestream that the senator’s wealth appeared to have nearly doubled based on his 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Lacson rejected the insinuation and accused Cayetano of crossing a line by attacking his integrity.
“My integrity is my first and last line of defense and I will fight to defend it with all my might. Sen[ator] Cayetano has crossed the line by attacking it,” Lacson said in a post on X.
But Lacson did not stop at a denial.
He said he was counting on informants and witnesses who were allegedly willing to provide information and evidence against Cayetano.
“As of this morning, I am 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 jail,” Lacson said.
Wealth, pork and allegations
Lacson also disputed Cayetano’s characterization of his wealth, saying his net worth did not merely double but quadrupled—from P58.7 million in 2022, when he left government, to P244.9 million in 2025.
He said the increase was legitimate and reflected in his income tax returns for taxable years 2023 and 2024.
Lacson also turned the issue toward Cayetano’s legislative record, alleging that the senator had P6.79 billion in budget insertions in the 2025 national budget.
Lacson said he had no budget insertions or pork barrel funds since becoming a senator and denied receiving kickbacks from infrastructure projects.
“And I don’t have 25 percent kickback in slope protection and other infra projects. I don’t know about him but I have consistently refused lobby monies in relation to my job as a legislator,” Lacson said.
The allegations have not been established in court, and Cayetano has yet to respond to Lacson’s latest accusations.
‘Ghost’ projects enter the fight
The political exchange also dragged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the controversy.
Lacson said Cayetano should not be impatient about possible investigations, hinting that alleged irregularities involving projects in Cayetano’s political bailiwick could also come under scrutiny.
“And yes, re: Blue Ribbon hearings, huwag siyang mainip, meron ding ghost sa Taguig,” Lacson said.
He claimed there were alleged ghost flood-control projects in Taguig City.
The accusations mark another escalation in the increasingly personal political confrontation between the two senators, with both sides now trading claims involving wealth, public funds and alleged irregularities in government projects.
For taxpayers, the dispute raises questions that go beyond the senators’ personal exchange: Where did the money go, were public funds properly used, and can the allegations be backed by evidence?
Those questions will ultimately require more than political accusations. They will need documents, investigations and, where warranted, accountability before the proper authorities.
