AN EDUCATION undersecretary implicated in the flood control mess resigned on Monday, the Presidential Palace said on Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro confirmed Education Undersecretary Trygve L. Olaivar tendered his resignation, but did not elaborate whether President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has acted on it or not.
“We called Usec. Trygve himself and confirmed that he submitted his resignation letter [on Nov. 17],” she told a briefing in Filipino.
Late on Monday, Malacañang announced the resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, who were both implicated in the flood control scandal.
Education Secretary Jose Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara was also named in the alleged scandal, but he remains in his post.
When asked if he should also resign “out of delicadeza,” Ms. Castro refused to answer, noting the secretary must answer for himself.
In September, Mr. Olaivar denied allegations linking him to the alleged ghost and substandard flood control projects uncovered in a Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry and said he would take a voluntary leave to allow an impartial investigation.
His name surfaced after former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo testified that Mr. Olaivar had asked him in 2024 to prepare a list of unprogrammed appropriations worth P2.85 billion, allegedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary, which Mr. Bersamin earlier held, and that a 15% “commitment” was discussed.
Mr. Bernardo claimed that engineer Henry C. Alcantara regularly collected and delivered this amount to him, which he then turned over to Mr. Olaivar in various locations.
Mr. Olaivar, in a Sept. 25 statement, rejected the accusations and said he welcomed any probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday alleged Mr. Olaivar and former Presidential Legislative Liaison Adrian Carlos A. Bersamin received kickbacks from insertions from the 2025 budget.
The senator claimed that kickbacks from the P100-billion budget insertions from last year were received by officials from Malacañang who misrepresented the President.
“What (ex-Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co) is claiming is that he delivered P25 billion representing the 25% kickback for the president, I will attest is not true,” he told the Senate Plenary, citing ex-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo.
“There are people in Malacañang, not authorized by the President, who misrepresented him,” he said.
The Senator added that they had name dropped the President to Mr. Co making him believe that the funds were meant for the president.
“(Mr. Bersamin) name dropped the President, making Zaldy Co believe that it was the President that wanted to insert P100 billion,” he said.
Earlier, the former lawmaker accused President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and former House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez of having direct links to the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, according to a series of videos he released on his social media page.
“(Mr. Bernardo) also said that he had delivered cash not to the President but to Olaivar along with Bersamin, P8 billion in at least 10 deliveries,” Mr. Lacson added.
The senator said that the ex-government officials brought armored vans to a Makati hotel where deliveries would range from P800 million to P2 billion. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana and Adrian H. Halili
