Kickback Trail Reaches Malacañang: Executive Secretary Bersamin Dragged into ₱2.85-Billion DPWH Project Scandal
Sep 26
2 min read
MANILA — Allegations of multimillion-peso kickbacks have reached the highest levels of Malacañang after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin was accused of seeking a 15% commission from infrastructure projects amounting to ₱2.85 billion.
The explosive claim surfaced during the sixth Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday, when former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testified that the commission was allegedly funneled through Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, a known political aide of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the late Senator Edgardo Angara, and current Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
The Alleged Scheme
In his sworn affidavit, Bernardo detailed a meeting with Olaivar in 2024, where the latter supposedly invoked the name of Bersamin. According to Bernardo, Olaivar told him to prepare a list of projects under “Unprogrammed Appropriations” purportedly intended for the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES).
“Usec. Olaivar personally called me for a meeting to discuss ‘Unprogrammed Appropriations’ supposedly for the OES. In the said meeting, he requested me to submit a list of projects,” Bernardo recounted.
Following instructions, Bernardo said he asked the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office to prepare a project list, which Engineer Henry Alcantara later submitted, totaling ₱2.85 billion.
When the list was presented, Olaivar allegedly quipped, “Boss, kinse ’yan” — a coded reference, Bernardo claimed, to a 15% commission. Shortly afterward, the DPWH received a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the projects, raising questions about how swiftly the funds were approved.
Malacañang’s Denial
Executive Secretary Bersamin wasted no time in denying the accusations. In a strongly worded statement, he dismissed Bernardo’s claims as “false imputations” and insisted that the OES has no role in budget allocations related to the DPWH.
“I deny the imputation contained in the sworn statement of DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee about the delivery of an ‘agreed 15% commitment’ supposedly for the OES. The imputation is not true,” Bersamin said.
He further stressed:
“In the first place, the OES has no involvement in any way with budgetary allocations relevant to the DPWH. In the second place, the OES has no dealings whatsoever with either Undersecretary Bernardo or DepEd Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar (who has earlier denied the allegations). I stand by my untarnished record as a long-serving public servant.”
Olaivar’s Shadowy Role
Olaivar, who has long served as a political aide to high-profile figures, finds himself at the center of the controversy. His connections to both the Senate and the DepEd fuel suspicions about how influence and budget maneuverings may have overlapped. He has also denied Bernardo’s allegations.
Senate Scrutiny Intensifies
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, is under pressure to dig deeper into the alleged kickback trail. The case not only raises red flags about corruption in infrastructure spending but also tests the Marcos administration’s vow of accountability and transparency.
If substantiated, the allegations could represent one of the most serious corruption scandals to implicate the Office of the Executive Secretary in recent history.
