Sen. Ping Lacson Speaks on Accusations vs. Pres. Bongbong Marcos, Former E.S. Lucas Bersamin
PING LACSON – The Senate President Pro Tempore claimed that there is evidence that links Pres. Bongbong Marcos and former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to the kickback issue.
Several officials of the government including Zaldy Co were implicated in the supposed multi-billion flood control corruption in the government. Contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya were the first ones to mention Co’s name in the alleged “kickback system”.
Aside from the Discayas, Orly Guteza, a former marine who claimed to be a former aide of Zaldy Co, also testified during a Senate flood control hearing that he’s allegedly part of the group that delivered suitcases filled millions of money to the residences of Co and presidential cousin and Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez who resigned from being the House Speaker amid the flood control accusations.
Zaldy Co was already out of the country when the accusations that linked him to the flood control issue broke out. The House of Representatives revoked his Travel Clearance and ordered his return to the Philippines but, instead, he resigned from being the representative of Ako Bicol Partylist in the House of Representatives.
Recently, Zaldy Co released videos wherein he accused Pres. Bongbong Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez of allegedly inserting P100 billion in the 2025 national budget. According to him, Marcos Jr. and Romualdez supposedly got all the P56 billion kickback from it.
The Palace was quick to dismiss the corruption accusations of Zaldy Co against Pres. Bongbong Marcos. According to Malacañang press officer undersecretary Claire Castro, the resigned House member allegeldy wants the investigation to stop so he implicated the President in the issue. Undeniably, the claims boosted the call for the Chief Executive to step down from the presidency.
Recently, amid the ongoing Senate flood control investigation led by the Blue Ribbon Committee, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson spoke on Pres. Bongbong Marcos and former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The former E.S. was also mentioned by Co in his claims.
After his name was dragged into the issue, the Palace announced that former Executive Sec. Lucas Bersamin resigned from his position. It was later on contradicted by Bersamin who claimed that he has allegedly not submitted a resignation letter when Malacañang announced his exit.
“As of now we have no evidence (against Marcos). In the same manner that there is no evidence that Bersamin is involved. I want to make that clear,” Sen. Ping Lacson told dzBB.
Based on a report on PhilStar, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson who is the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee made the statement amid the claims that it is allegedly impossible for Marcos Jr. to be unaware of what is happening among his Cabinet officials. The claims stressed the high intelligence funds that the Office of the President has.