Lacson: Kickbacks went to Bersamin, Olaivar, other subordinates
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not have a hand in the P100 billion insertions in the 2025 national budget as it was his subordinates who used his name and received kickbacks, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.
During yesterday’s Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget, Lacson said information from former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo showed that Palace officials not authorized by the President used Mr. Marcos’ name to advance the budget insertions.
The Blue Ribbon chairman identified resigned Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin and Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar as among those involved.
“The statement made by former Congressman Zaldy Co, where he accused that the P100 billion was supposedly ordered by the President to be inserted in the bicameral conference… I agree that the list of P100 billion is real,” Lacson said.
“But that he delivered P25 billion representing the alleged 25 percent commission for the President, that I will attest is not true. That is absolutely untrue or completely false,” he added.
He said Bersamin invoked the President’s authority, leading Co to believe the P100 billion was Mr. Marcos’ directive.
Bernardo, Lacson said, detailed how kickbacks were handled, with P81 billion assigned to the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the remaining P19 billion to other agencies.
Of the DPWH portion, Bernardo personally managed P52 billion and delivered the funds using armored vans.
Each delivery reportedly ranged from P800 million to P2 billion, with Bernardo allegedly delivering up to P9 billion in kickbacks to Bersamin and Olaivar, but never to the President.
“What others want us to believe is that the President was the one who… ordered the insertion, but that doesn’t make sense to me. It’s common sense – would he order something and then veto it?” Lacson said.
Still, Lacson acknowledged the 2025 national budget was riddled with “allocables,” funds which he said function like a new form of pork barrel.
“Why is funding allocated before projects are even identified? Shouldn’t projects come first before money is assigned? Shouldn’t there be items proposed by the regional development council before they are funded? In this case, funding comes first, and only afterward are projects identified in the NEP,” he said.
Mr. Marcos yesterday accepted the resignation of Bersamin, son of the nephew of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin who also quit his post along with Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman “out of delicadeza” after being linked to the flood control kickbacks issue.
Olaivar has also formally resigned from his post, DepEd chief media relations officer Dennis Legaspi said.
