Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Office of the Ombudsman is eyeing a possible case of conspiracy to commit plunder against three former officials tagged in the flood control corruption scandal.Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said these are resigned Undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary and Trygve Olaivar of the Department of Education, as well as retired Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.According to Remulla, Bersamin, Olaivar, and Bernardo “were working together in laundering money” based on the narration of Bernardo himself, who is applying for state witness.“Nakasakay na sa armored van yung pera, sa kanyang narration di ba? At inililipat o nagpapalit sila ng armored van (then) they drive off with the money. Iniiwan yung isa, para punuin ulit ng pera. Nakakapangilabot yung ganitong mga kwento pero I think it is believable. Siyempre we will also look at other evidence available,” said Remulla.“Nagkasundo kayo na kunin ‘tong perang ‘to na hindi naman sa kanila. They don’t have a right to that money. It’s money meant for public works, meant to be paid to contractors for work done,” he added.Remulla also said that he was already suspicious of Bersamin in the past, after he tried to interfere in the appointment of prosecutors at the Department of Justice during Remulla’s stint as Secretary.Remulla alleged that Bersamin was also using President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s name to get what he wanted, just like what Senator Panfilo Lacson claimed when he said Bersamin and Olaivar had invoked the President’s name to trick former Congressman Elizaldy Co into thinking that it was the chief executive who was ordering him to insert billions in the 2025 budget.“Hindi lang kasi first time nangyari yan. Meron pang ibang pagkakataon that this young Usec was using the name of the President kaya hindi ako nagulat,” he said.“May naranasan kami sa DOJ na tila siya ang nakialam sa appointment process. Ang prosecutors natin pinipili based on our confidence. Some people were not appointed accordingly, or appointed without even consulting us. Tingin namin he had something to do with it,” added Remulla.<div>BERNARDO AS STATE WITNESS?</div>As for Bernardo, Remulla said his application to become state witness is still pending.He said DOJ prosecutors are inclined to accept him as a state witness, but only in the specific cases where he will testify, and not through a blanket immunity arrangement.“Ang understanding, pag merong ibang kasong i-file sa kanya na hindi kasama sa tine-testiguhan (niya), pwede siyang kasuhan,” he said.Remulla said he was also informed that Bernardo already offered to return some ill-gotten wealth.“Hindi kasi ako privy sa negotations nila pero I was made to understand that he was offering to return so much based on properties he wanted to liquidate,” he said.<div>ZEROING IN ON GARDIOLA</div>Meanwhile, Remulla said investigations into Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola are also underway.This comes after Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste tagged Gardiola as the second biggest “proponent” in the infrastructure projects of the DPWH.His alleged modus operandi is to pay off officials involved in the national budget to get projects then resells them to contractors for profit.“Somebody’s on it na… Mas mabigat yan kasi forensic evidence ang kailangan kasi buy-and-sell of contracts, maraming wala sa pangalan niya,” said Remulla.

The Office of the Ombudsman is eyeing a possible case of conspiracy to commit plunder against three former officials tagged in the flood control corruption scandal.

The Office of the Ombudsman is eyeing a possible case of conspiracy to commit plunder against three former officials tagged in the flood control corruption scandal.

Plunder conspiracy case eyed vs ex-undersecretaries Bersamin, Olaivar, Bernardo

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Plunder conspiracy case eyed vs ex-undersecretaries Bersamin, Olaivar, Bernardo

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 20, 2025 09:52 PM PHT

Read More:

budget insertions

flood control

corruption

Office of the Ombudsman

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