Progressive organizations on Monday lodged a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against two recently resigned undersecretaries, accusing them of involvement in a multibillion-peso corruption scheme tied to infrastructure projects and alleged budget insertions.
The complaint, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chairperson and former Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Teddy Casiño, seeks to establish the criminal liability of former Presidential Legal Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin and former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.
Eight complainants submitted sworn statements urging the Ombudsman to investigate what they described as a “commitment-insertion-kickback” operation, alleging that billions of pesos in illicit payments were funneled through government channels—including at least ₱8 billion in kickbacks delivered in multiple tranches to the officials.
Some of the funds were purportedly earmarked for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“The resignations of implicated officials like Bersamin and Olaivar should not be used as an escape hatch from accountability,” the complainants said.
Both officials have previously been linked to controversies involving flood control projects. ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio earlier claimed to have seen “communication records” allegedly showing text exchanges between Marcos and Bersamin discussing kickback flows from December 2024 to July 2025.
Former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co also alleged that Bersamin relayed directives from the president to insert ₱100 billion into the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
However, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, disputed claims of presidential involvement. He cited testimony from former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who admitted delivering funds but maintained that only Bersamin and Olaivar benefited.
“Naghatid ako ng pera as kickback but not to the president but to Usec. Olaivar, at ang pagkakaalam niya kasama si Usec. Adrian Bersamin,” Lacson quoted Bernardo as saying, adding that Bernardo claimed at least 10 deliveries amounting to ₱8 billion were made.
Bayan emphasized that filing the complaint was crucial to prevent the case from being buried, especially with the impending closure of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
“The fight against corruption is not about punishing a few individuals but about exposing and dismantling the corrupt system that has long plagued public infrastructure spending,” the group said.