MANILA – Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday supported a proposal to cancel or re-price some ₱1.6 trillion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects, saying the move could generate ₱400 billion in savings that may be used for health and education programs while easing the country’s debt burden.

“Neophyte Cong. Leviste should be listened to and taken seriously. He surely knows how to compute. P400B in savings to bridge our budget deficit will help ease our debt burden,” Lacson said in a post on X, referring to Rep. Leandro Leviste.

In a social media post Thursday, Leviste pointed out that DPWH contracts allow cancellation under “termination for convenience” if projects are no longer practical, or “termination for unlawful acts” if fraud is proven. He urged DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to cancel some ₱1 trillion in ongoing projects for 2025 and ₱600 billion in planned projects for 2026, saying the move could save government around ₱400 billion.

Lacson earlier exposed in two privilege speeches alleged corruption in DPWH involving substandard and ghost flood control projects. He said he will closely scrutinize the agency’s proposed 2026 budget and urged lawmakers to exercise self-restraint in making realignments, particularly for locally funded infrastructure.

“We should be horrified by (the outrage over corruption that) happened. Let’s not allow the problem to linger. Let us also help find ways to bring down our debt because our debt has grown so big,” Lacson said.