Metro Manila, Philippines – Two former undersecretaries are facing complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in kickback deliveries from flood control deals and budget insertions supposedly made on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
A number of anti-corruption advocates, including former lawmakers Teddy Casiño and France Castro, filed criminal and administrative complaints against former presidential undersecretary Adrian Bersamin and then education undersecretary Trgyve Olaivar with the ombudsman on Monday, March 30.
The complaints were filed ahead of the closure of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on March 31, whom Casiño said had not even sent high ranking officials to jail.
The complainants said the two must be held accountable for graft and corruption and violation of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.
“The resignations of Bersamin and Olaivar should not prevent the ombudsman from investigating the serious allegations presented by these revelations, especially considering that their resignations appear to be done to be in bad faith–that is, for them to avoid being charged under the laws governing accountability of public officials and evade the administrative, criminal, and civil liabilities under the same,” the complaint read.
Complainants cited the exposes of state witness and former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and fugitive lawmaker Zaldy Co, who implicated Marcos in the alleged ₱100 billion insertion in the 2025 budget.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson, who chairs the blue ribbon panel, earlier tagged Bersamin for allegedly misrepresenting the president to secure the budget insertion.
Lacson previously said the former DPWH undersecretary delivered billions of pesos in kickbacks – done in 10 tranches – to Bersamin and Olaivar.
READ: Marcos had no hand in ₱100B insertion, kickbacks – Lacson
“There appears to be a multibillion-peso ‘commitment-insertion-kickback’ scam running from the highest rungs of the Marcos administration whereby President Marcos ordered budgetary insertions which ‘facilitators’ include in the budget for assured funding, after which operators handled and delivered billions in kickbacks for him,” the complaint read.
“In this picture, Bersamin apparently is the runner, bagman, and ‘disbursing officer’ of kickbacks who directly reported to the President,” it added.
In November 2025, Ombudsman Boying Remulla said his office was investigating the two undersecretaries for possible conspiracy to commit plunder.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot, one of the groups behind the complaint, said it is “imperative for the government to expedite investigation on corruption issues” to recover stolen funds amid the economic impact of the Middle East conflict.
