Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson pushed back against accusations linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to alleged commissions from multibillion-peso bicameral insertions, saying the narrative does not match the information he gathered from a former public works official.
Lacson delivered the clarification during plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget on Tuesday, Nov. 18, after studying the list of projects publicized online by resigned congressman Zaldy Co. The senator said he and finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian separately examined the P100-billion insertions cited by Co and arrived at the same assessment. “Your honor and I both know the P100 B – and both of us went through the list independently – and you and I agree that the list of the P100 B is true. It was really inserted in the bicam,” Lacson said.
While confirming the presence of large adjustments made during bicameral meetings, Lacson insisted Co’s accusation that a quarter of the amount served as a “commission” for the President had no factual basis. “That I will attest as false. That is absolutely untrue or completely false,” he said.
Lacson said the clarification came directly from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who contacted him after seeing Co’s claims circulating on social media. According to Lacson, Bernardo reported that two officials — Trygve Olaivar of the Department of Education and Adrian Bersamin of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office — allegedly invoked Marcos’ name to persuade Co that the President had ordered the insertions.
Bernardo purportedly revisited his notes and laid out how the funds were moved. He allegedly told Lacson that roughly P81 billion of the P100 billion went to DPWH, with P52 billion handled by him. From that amount, the former official supposedly released P8 billion in kickbacks “not to the President but to Usec Olaivar,” who he claimed was working with Bersamin. The account also included descriptions of cash deliveries transported using armored vehicles, including one described as amounting to about P2 billion. Bernardo likewise allegedly said he turned over P1 billion to former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Lacson said Bernardo’s written testimony was forwarded to President Marcos, and he believes it played a role in the resignation of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. He added that the President’s actions contradict allegations of involvement, pointing out that several of the listed insertions were placed under “for later release” and later vetoed. “If the President knew and he was the one who ordered the P100B insertions in the GAA in the bicam, why would he veto that?” he said, noting Gatchalian had raised the same point.
Gatchalian backed Lacson’s findings during the session. “While you were examining 2025 GAA, we were also busy inspecting… our findings were the same,” he said. Lacson’s office later released part of the P82-billion list of DPWH insertions, including P1.15 billion worth of projects that Marcos ultimately rejected.
The senator maintained his earlier criticism of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, describing it as the “most corrupt budget” to date and attributing the scheme to a network involving Bonoan, Olaivar, Bersamin and resigned DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
Lacson also introduced what he described as a new mechanism for discretionary funding within the budget, citing Bernardo’s description of “allocables.” He questioned why funds appear to be programmed even before projects are identified. “Why does the funding come first before the projects are identified? Shouldn’t the projects be identified first before funding is allocated for them?” he asked. He added that the House leadership controlled about P143.5 billion in these allocable funds, and that Bernardo, Bonoan and Bersamin — whom he called “non-legislators” — were among those who reportedly benefitted.
At the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said their bloc had little visibility into bicameral discussions on the 2025 national budget, which took effect in December 2024. “We don’t know that, even if the minority leader is a member of all committees. But if we look at what usually happens, that’s what happened,” he said, pointing out that negotiations were confined to Co and his Senate counterpart, former senator Grace Poe.
Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima urged legislators to refrain from political spectacle and instead focus on fact-finding. “Investigate all. Leave no stone unturned,” she said. The Makabayan bloc, meanwhile, argued that Lacson’s statements clearing Marcos are unsupported so far and called on Congress to compel Bernardo to publicly testify under oath.
In the aftermath of the revelations, the Department of Public Works and Highways initiated a change in its procurement leadership. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon appointed Assistant Secretary Nerie Bueno as vice-chair of the Central Office Bids and Awards Committee for Goods and Services, succeeding former assistant secretary Loreta Malaluan, who retired in August. The committee is currently chaired by Assistant Secretary Medmier Malig, who assumed the role in October. Both Malig and Bueno have served as DPWH officials since the tenure of Bonoan. Malaluan, before retiring on Aug. 29, rose quickly in rank when Bonoan became DPWH chief in 2022.
