SEN. Francis “Chiz” Escudero yesterday denied accusations linking him to the infrastructure kickbacks scheme, saying testimonies made before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee naming senators as alleged recipients of “proponent” commissions is a “well-orchestrated plan to attack the Senate and its members.”
Escudero, in a statement, called the statements made by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo during yesterday’s committee hearing as “malicious allegations and innuendos.”
“I vehemently deny the malicious allegations and innuendos made by former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo in today’s (Thursday’s)Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. By his own admission, he never had any contact with me directly regarding this matter — and I will prove that he is lying about my alleged involvement,” the former Senate president said.
“For more than 27 years in public service, I have never once been charged with corruption. That record speaks for itself. I believe that when all the facts are revealed, my name and my service will remain untarnished,” Escudero said.
He added that “it seems like there is a well-orchestrated plan to attack the Senate and its members to destroy and discredit the institution and to divert the public’s attention from the real perpetrators” of anomalous government infrastructure projects.
“Puro talaga senador ang tinuturo?! Nasaan si Zaldy Co? Nasaan na si Rep. Martin Romualdez sa lahat ng ito?! Nasaan ang mga kasabwat nya?! Kung babasehan natin ang testimonya ni Usec. Bernardo, wala sila lahat kasalanan o kinalaman dito. Di naman ata ito kapani-paniwala (Why is he only pointing to senators? Where is Zaldy Co? Where is Rep. Martin Romualdez in all of this? Where are the names of their cohorts? If you will look at the testimony of Usec. Bernardo, it would appear that they did not do anything wrong, that they have nothing to do with all of these. I don’t think that is believable),” Escudero said.
He also said: “Sobra naman nang paglilihis at paglayo nila sa tunay na salarin ang sarswelang ito (They have gone too far in diverting the issue away from the real perpetrators)!”
Escudero vowed to confront Bernardo about his accusations, saying: “Maging ganun pa man, haharapin at lalabanan ko ito at maghahain ng karampatang demanda laban kay Usec. Bernardo sa mga binitiwan nyang walang saysay at basehan na paratang (I will face and fight all these allegations. I will charges against Usec. Bernardo because of his baseless and useless accusations.)”
Former senator and now Makati mayor Nancy Binay also denied Bernardo’s allegation that she got P37 million as her supposed 15 percent “commitment” fee for a flood control project and reinforcement of two river walls projects in Malolos, Pulilan, and Balagtas towns, respectively.
In a statement, Binay said: “Nagugulat at nalulungkot ako na dinadamay ako sa mga anomalya ng DPWH. Walang katotohanan ang mga bintang sa akin (I am surprised and saddened that my name has been dragged in the DPWH anomalies. There is no truth to the allegations against me).”
“Tahimik po tayong nagtatrabaho bilang mayor ng Makati. Nakakagulat na nagagamit tayo para ipanglihis sa mga tunay na kailangan panagutin sa issue na ito (I am silently doing my job as mayor of Makati. It is surprising that my name is being used to divert attention away from the perpetrators who need to be held accountable),” she also said.
She then cautioned the public and the media against falling for the diversionary tricks, which she said is also being used to besmirch her name and reputation.
“My performance in public service has always been above board and beyond a shadow of doubt,” she stressed.
Revilla, in a brief statement, condemned the allegations against him, even as he assured the Senate and the public that he will fully cooperate with any investigation “to shed light on the truth.”
‘NO DEALINGS’
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin likewise denied Bernardo’s allegations that the Office of the Executive Secretary supposedly got a 15 percent commission from some P2.8 billion worth of infrastructure projects that were allegedly inserted in the 2025 unprogrammed appropriations.
Bersamin said in a statement: “I deny the imputation contained in the sworn statement of DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee about the delivery of ‘agreed 15% commitment’ ‘supposedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary.’ The imputation is not true.”
He stressed: “I stand by my untarnished record as a long-serving public servant, first as a career judicial officer, and now as the Executive Secretary.”
“In the first place, the OES has no involvement in any way with budgetary allocations relevant to the DPWH,” he said.
He added that “the OES has no dealings whatsoever with either
Undersecretary Bernardo or DepEd Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.”
Bernardo has alleged in his sworn affidavit that the commissions intended for the OES were supposedly coursed through Olaivar, a former staff of former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, who is now the education secretary.
He claimed that “sometime 2024, Usec. Olaivar personally called me for a meeting to discuss about Unprogrammed Appropriations supposedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary. In the said meeting, he requested (for us) to submit a list of projects.”
He said a list of projects worth P2.85 billion was subsequently given to Olaivar, after which “the DPWH received a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for Ph2.85 billion for the projects.”
“Engr. (Henry) Alcantara from time to time would collect and deliver the agreed 15% commitment to me which I delivered or caused to be delivered to Usec. Olaivar in Magallanes, Makati and other places.”
Olaivar, also in a statement, similarly denied Bernardo’s claim that he demanded and accepted kickbacks.
At the same time, he announced that he is taking a leave of absence from the Department of Education (DepEd).
“I deny the allegations made (by Bernardo) and want to state clearly that I welcome any investigation regarding this matter. To allow for a fair inquiry, I will voluntarily take a leave of absence from my post and am ready to fully cooperate with any and all proceedings,” he said.
Angara said Olaivar informed him of his decision.
“Undersecretary Trygve L. Olaivar has taken a voluntary leave of absence to allow due process to take its course without distraction to the Department,” Angara said in a separate statement.
He assured the public that the issues related to Olaivar will not affect the DepEd operation or the delivery of services to millions of learners nationwide.
“As Secretary of Education, I assure the public that the Department of Education upholds the highest standards of integrity in all our work. DepEd remains firmly focused on its forem ost duty: delivering quality education to every Filipino learner. That mission continues to guide all that we do,” he said. – With Ashzel Hachero and Jocelyn Reyes
