Lucas Bersamin denies alleged link to budget insertions

Former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday denied that he is involved in insertions allegedly made into the national budget for fiscal year 2025. 

Bersamin’s denial came after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said that Bersamin will “take care” of the P52 billion insertions in the budget. 

Lacson was citing information from former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary (DPWH) Roberto Bernardo.

“I vehemently deny the imputation against me that I said anything to Sec. (Manny) Bonoan that ‘we will take care of it’ regarding the supposed facilitation of the P52 billion,” Bersamin told Palace reporters.

“Bernardo could not be a credible source of relevant information if his knowledge looks and sounds like at least triple hearsay,” he added. 

Further, Bersamin said that his former office has never meddled in anything to do with the budget of other agencies. 

“Office of the Executive Secretary does not have anything to do with insertions or budget. Our own budget, ‘yun ang sinusubmit namin. Pero yung makikialam kami sa budget ng ibang agency, hindi namin ginagawa ‘yan. Hindi namin kasama sa aming trabaho ‘yan,” he also said.

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

They were identified by Lacson as former Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin.

Lacson was quoting revelations from Bernardo who also mentioned the former DPWH secretary and Bersamin.

"Sinabihan siya ni Usec. Trygve Olaivar na si Secretary Bonoan asked Executive Secretary Bersamin several times. Sino ba mag fafacilitate nitong P52 billion? Of course, isasama sa bicam, paano ito rerelease? Sino mag fafacilitate? Ang sagot ni ES Bersamin sakanya, 'We will take care of it.' Sila na daw bahala," Lacson said.

(Usec. Trygve Olaivar told him that Secretary Bonoan asked Executive Secretary Bersamin several times, "Who will facilitate this P52 billion? Of course, it will be included in the bicam, how will it be released? Who will facilitate? ES Bersamin's answer to him was, we will take care of it.")

Adrian Bersamin

In a separate interview, the former executive secretary cast doubt on allegations against Adrian Bersamin.

''Alam mo si Adrian parang apo ko 'yan eh, parang anak 'yan. Apo 'yan ng oldest brother ko na pinatay. So, I have been part of his life since that time... Kasi bata pa 'yan ano na 'yan, tinutulungan ko na 'yan at tinutulungan niya ko. Mabait na bata yan,'' Bersamin said.

(Adrian is like my grandson, my son. He's the grandson of my oldest brother who was killed, so I have been part of his life since that time. Since he was a kid, we have always helped each other.)

''You cannot expect him to do anything na hindi tugma sa nakakataas sa kanya,'' he added.

“If Lacson has the evidence, well, we will respect his declaration there. Pero sa tingin ko lang, batay lang sa mga kwento ni Zaldy Co at ni Bernardo, hindi ko naman pwedeng sabihin na naniniwala ako agad…Itong mga bagay nito, mga paratang na ganito, should ultimately be established in court,” he said. 

(If Lacson has the evidence, well, we will respect his declaration there. But, in my view, based only on the stories of Zaldy Co and Bernardo, I can't just immediately say that I believe them...These matters, these kinds of accusations, should ultimately be established in court.) 

Bersamin also said that allegations against him should be established in court. 

Bersamin, former Chief Justice, had voluntarily resigned from his post after his name was dragged into the flood control projects scandal. 

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro has said Bersamin stepped down out of delicadeza, together with former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. 

Their resignations will also give way for the administration to investigate the controversy properly, Castro said. —VAL/RF, GMA Integrated News