Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Sunday downplayed persistent speculation that he was on his way out of the Marcos Jr. administration, saying there was no truth to the supposed Palace shake-up “until it actually happens.”
“Not true, until it actually happens. I don’t know how the speculation started,” the former chief justice told reporters when asked about talk that he was resigning or set to be replaced.
Bersamin—long regarded as the “little President” for managing Malacañang’s day-to-day operations—has become a focal point of political intrigue amid the fallout from the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.
The rumors escalated after former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co accused Bersamin’s grandson, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office chief Adrian Carlos Bersamin, of helping facilitate the alleged ₱100-billion budget insertion for 2025.
The controversy has sparked public outrage, ignited INC-led mass protests, and intensified speculation about fractures within the administration as officials confront corruption allegations reaching lawmakers and, more recently, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself.
Talk has also circulated that Bersamin may be replaced by Finance Secretary and former Senator Ralph Recto, though the Palace has not issued any official statement on Bersamin’s status.