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Bernardo links more officials to infra scandal By Ram Superable Ex-DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 2676 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025 •
Co: PBBM behind P100b insertions in 2025 budget Palace, DBM: Pure hearsay; Lacson: No probative value By Maricel V. Cruz, Joel Zurbano, Charles Dantes, Ram Superable, Katrina Manubay and Pot Chavez
‘J'ACCUSE’. Resigned
Ako Bicol party-list representative and former House Committee on Appropriations chairman Zaldy Co breaks silence through an online video on his alleged role in the billions of anomalous insertions in the 2025 national budget. Rep. Zaldy Co / Screengrab
R
ESIGNED Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co pointed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as being behind the supposed P100 billion "insertions" in the 2025 national budget. "This all started when (Budget Secretary) Amenah Pangandaman talked to me during the start of the bicameral process in 2024. She said she just came from a meeting with the President, and there were instructions to insert P100 billion worth of projects in the bicam," Co said in a video message released by his camp Friday—the first time he spoke about the issue. "Secretary Menah even said, 'You can confirm with Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin' because they were together in the meeting with President BBM," he added. Co said he called then Speaker Martin Romualdez and reported the alleged instructions of the President. Co claimed Romualdez, who took no part in the bicameral process, replied: "What the President wants, he gets." "The administration is using the entire resources of the country to keep me quiet. That he will shoot me if I talk. I will be used as a cover for a hole in their campaign against corruption," he said. Malacañang, for its part, dismissed the claims of Co against the President as "pure hearsay" and a diversion from the former solon's alleged role in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. In separate statements, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez and Undersecretary Claire Castro said Co should return to the Philippines, swear to his claims before proper authorities, and face the cases being prepared against him. Next page
FORMER Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo yesterday implicated more high-ranking officials and lawmakers in alleged kickback schemes tied to flood control and infrastructure projects. He submitted a second supplemental affidavit during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, wherein he claimed to have facilitated illicit transactions involving Department of Education undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, former DPWH secretary and now Senator Mark Villar, former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, and former DPWH undersecretary for Planning Maria Catalina Cabral. He also claimed to have arranged kickbacks for Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Francis Escudero, as well as for former Senators Nancy Binay, Ramon Revilla, and Grace Poe. Next page
ICI to assess latest Bernardo, Co testimonies By Joel E. Zurbano THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will assess the latest testimonies made at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the disclosures made by former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo regarding the flood control scandal allegedly involving top government officials, as well as private contractors. "The commission is still carefully reviewing and studying what was divulged during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, as well as in the alleged video of former Congressman Zaldy Co, before weighing in on any action or statement," said ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka in a statement. Hosaka issued the statement after former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo reappeared in the Senate and detailed the alleged involvement of several public officials and lawmakers in the kickback Next page schemes.
AFP warns INC rally organizers to guard ranks against infiltrators out to sow chaos THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday expressed concern over possible infiltration attempts that could disrupt peaceful protests, including reports of individuals allegedly planning to use grenades. Meawnhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., dismissed calls from a “handful of retired military officials” to support their
destabilization move as part of disinformation propaganda. AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said intelligence information has reached both the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) about potential agitators who could take advantage of upcoming rallies. Next page
Tighter supply Pinoys believe corruption to push fuel prices at its highest, says SWS higher next week By Katrina Manubay By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect another oil price hike across all products next week due to the movement of prices in the world oil market. Gasoline is forecast to increase by P1.30 to P1.50 per liter and diesel by P1 to P1.20 per liter based on this week’s Mean of Platts Singapore and foreign exchange average in the past 4 days versus last week’s full week Next page average.
AN OVERWHELMING majority of Filipino adults in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal perceive “a lot” of corruption is taking place in the government, according to a latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Presented during the Kapihan sa SWS on Thursday, Nov. 13, the Mega Manila survey results titled “Kalakaran? The SWS Surveys on Corruption” showed that the 84 percent of the survey respondent marked the highest record of corruption perception since 2000, covering the administrations of Joseph Estrada at 63-77 percent; Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at 60-67 percent; Benigno Aquino III, 43-56 percent; Rodrigo Duterte,41-45 percent; and Ferdinand Marcos Jr Next page notching the highest at 84 percent.
CLOONEYS AT THE PALACE. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. with First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos and the visiting Mr. and Mrs. George and Amal Clooney walk past a Christmas tree inside the Malacañan Palace during their courtesy call yesterday. Revoli Cortez