Ex-undersecretaties face charges over flood control scam

National

FORMER undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin and Trygve Olaivar are facing graft and corruption charges before the Office of the Ombudsman over their alleged roles in a multi-billion peso flood control scam.

The filing of the complaint was led by Teddy Casiño of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

The complaint claimed the existence of a “commitment-insertion-kickback” scheme involving infrastructure projects. It alleged that billions of pesos in kickbacks were funneled through government channels, including an alleged P8 billion linked to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

A report by Philstar stated that the complaint alleged that budget allocations were deliberately inserted to guarantee project funding, after which operators supposedly facilitated the release and delivery of kickbacks.

Bersamin was specifically accused of acting as a “runner, bagman, and disbursing officer,” allegedly reporting directly to the President.

The esignations of both Bersamin and Olaivar from their posts in Malacañang and the Department of Education were described by complainants as a possible attempt to evade accountability.

The allegations are backed by video statements from fugitive Zaldy Co and affidavits from former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who has turned state witness.(Zsarrhied Samantha A. Tanjay, CTU-TC BAEL-ELSD Intern)