Lacson tags 2 Palace execs in kickback scheme

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday tagged two government undersecretaries who allegedly invoked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s name to extract kickbacks of at least P52 billion from supposed fund insertions in the 2025 national budget.

In his interpellation during Senate deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget, Lacson said Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin allegedly worked “like a syndicate” to insert up to P100 billion in the budget, from which they derived the kickbacks.

Olaivar and Bersamin were reported to have both resigned, after the resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

Quoting revelations from Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, Lacson said the former DPWH official personally handled P52 billion as kickbacks from the P100 billion inserted into the budget.

Of that amount, P81 billion was inserted as funding items under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while the remaining P19 billion was for other agencies, Lacson said.

He said Olaivar and Bersamin allegedly invoked Marcos’ authority to push for the insertions and manage the resulting financial transactions.

GMA News Online has reached out to Olaivar and Bersamin and will update the story once they respond.

According to Lacson, Bernardo gave him an urgent call on Sunday after seeing the third installment of video statements by former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co, in which he claimed he personally delivered proceeds from the P100 billion fund insertions to President Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"Ang statement na ginawa ni ex-Congressman Zaldy Co na nagbintang siya na P100 billion sinasabi niya na utos daw ng Pangulo na isingit sa bicam. And I agree na totoo ang listahan ng P100 billion. Talagang isiningit sa bicam," Lacson said.

(The statement of former Congressman Co says the P100 billion was ordered by the President to be inserted in the bicam—I agree the list is real and that amount was indeed inserted.)

While it may be “partly true,” Co’s allegations that he delivered P25 billion for the President, equivalent to a 25% “commitment,” are false.

"But yung sinasabi ni Zaldy Co sa social media as posted na nag-deliver siya ng P25 billion representing the 25% commission di umano para kay Presidente, that, I will attest na hindi totoo," Lacson said.

(But what Zaldy Co said on social media about delivering P25 billion supposedly as the President’s 25% commission—I attest that is not true.)

In that “urgent” phone, Lacson said Bernardo gave details on how Malacañang insiders Olaivar and Bersamin allegedly worked out the kickback scheme, supposedly without the President’s knowledge.

"Napag-alaman ko from Undersecretary Bernardo na may mga tao sa Malacañang, not the President, not authorized by the President, who misrepresented him. I will name some of them," Lacson said, later referring to Olaivar and Adrian Bersamin. 

(I learned from Undersecretary Bernardo that there were people in Malacañang—not the President, not authorized by the President—who misrepresented him. I will name some of them.)

Lacson said Bernardo knows Co’s claims to be false, as he personally handled the delivery of P8 billion to Olaivar and Bersamin, supposedly in 10 deliveries.

“Sabi niya ang pag-alam niya kasama si Usec Adrian Bersamin. P8B in at least 10 deliveries. The modus, yung arrangement nila is meron silang tig-isang armored van,” Lacson said.

(He said from what he knew, Usec Adrian Bersamin was involved. P8 billion in at least 10 deliveries. Their method was for each to have an armored van.)

The multiple deliveries reportedly occurred from March to April 2024, involving armored vans loaded with between P800 million and P2 billion each time, with the exchanges happening at the basement of Diamond Hotel in Manila.

The largest delivery occurred around March 11, Lacson said, with Olaivar allegedly asking to delay the pickup due to the ongoing political tension related to the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Quoting Bernardo, Lacson said the agreed kickback share was initially set at 15% but was later raised to 16% when Olaivar supposedly wanted an additional 1% for himself.

Lacson said he asked Bernardo to put his revelations in a handwritten note, which the senator promised to deliver to the President.

Bernardo’s note reportedly reached Marcos at around 2 p.m. Monday, around the same time Malacañang announced the resignation of Executive Secretary Bersamin and Pangandaman.

With Bernardo's accounts, Lacson debunked Co’s allegations that Marcos ordered the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects into the 2025 national budget during bicameral conference committee (bicam) deliberations.

According to the senator, it would be illogical for the President to eventually veto fund items that he supposedly sought to be inserted.

"I’m not defending the President (Marcos), but in fairness to him, ang list of projects, ang P100B, initially naka-FLR (For Later Release) lahat yan," Lacson said.

(All those P100 billion on the list of projects were initially set as For Later Release.)

Lacson said he scrutinized the list of proposed projects from the fund insertions, of which President Marcos vetoed P1.15 billion.

"Kung alam ni Pangulo at siya nag-utos na mag-insert ng P100B sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) sa bicam, bakit niya ibi-veto?" Lacson asked.

(If the President knew about and ordered the insertion of P100 billion into the GAA in bicam, why would he veto it?)

Among the projects that were part of the alleged fund insertions but were covered by the President’s veto message include:

• Construction of Cruise Port and Facilities Package 1, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – P250,000,000 (page 849, GAA 2025)
• Construction of Multi-Purpose Building (Government Center), Barangay Gaddani, Tayum, Abra – P800,000,000 (page 822, GAA 2025)
• Construction of Riverbank Structure including Irrigation System Integration along Polo River at Sitio Lawaan (Upstream Right Side), Moalboal, Cebu (Package 3) – P100,000,000 (page 322, GAA 2025)

With the latest revelations, the senator reminded public officials not to take advantage of the President’s trust or goodwill.

"No matter how kind-hearted he is, let’s not take advantage. Yan po yung nakakasama ng loob," Lacson added.

(No matter how kind-hearted he is, let's not take advantage. That's what is disheartening.)

"Let this be a lesson to everyone," he told fellow lawmakers. "Sometimes kala mo lulusot ka pero sooner or later it will catch up with you especially if you do it habitually," he added.

(Sometimes you think you can get away with it, but sooner or later it will catch up with you, especially if it's habitual.)

Lacson fought back tears as he lamented that the name of the former executive secretary, whom he considers a close friend, was dragged into the controversy.

Before her resignation, Pangandaman had denied Co’s claim that she sought the insertion of P100 billion into the budget, supposedly upon the President’s instructions.

Lacson warned that misrepresenting the President’s authority and manipulating the budget process erodes public trust and harms the national interest, including investor confidence.

He said the corruption scandal has shaken the country’s economy, with the stock market in decline and investors expressing uncertainty.

"It is time for officials to take responsibility," Lacson said.

"I think we have reached the point na dapat isipin natin enough is enough," he added.

(I think we've reached the point where we should say, enough is enough.)—MCG, GMA Integrated News