FEBRUARY 13, 2026 — Former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) chief Adrian Bersamin, fresh out of Malacañang, is now being cast as the man who could drag President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. into the swamp of alleged kickbacks. And the weapon? A USB stick said to contain months of incriminating chat exchanges.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice revealed that Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste showed him and several lawmakers the files — purported conversations between Marcos and Bersamin. According to Erice, the chats allegedly detailed discussions about ₱8 billion siphoned from flood-control allocations, with former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo already admitting in sworn statements that kickbacks were delivered to politicos.

“It was in a USB. So different dates, and a number — two numbers. Allegedly it’s the number of President Marcos and the number of USec Bersamin … and they have exchanges,” Erice recalled.

But the alleged conversations didn’t stop there. They supposedly touched on raising ₱1 billion from the Bureau of Customs and another ₱500 million from the Office of the President’s contingency fund — all for the campaign of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, the administration-backed coalition in the last midterm elections. 

That’s public money redirected into politics instead of public service.

Now, let’s be clear — the authenticity of these files has not been independently verified. But the mere existence of such claims, backed by surveillance footage of Bersamin visiting Leviste with lawyers and documents, already sets the stage for a political firestorm. 

Erice said Bersamin is in “self-preservation” mode, worried he’ll be left holding the bag if investigations deepen. He even reportedly prepared a videotaped affidavit to be released if anything happens to him.

This isn’t just gossip. Bersamin’s name has already surfaced in Senate Blue Ribbon hearings on flood-control anomalies. His grand uncle, former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin, was also dragged into the controversy, accused of taking a “15-percent” share from infrastructure projects — a claim Lucas flatly denied. Both Bersamins resigned last November, but the trail of allegations refuses to die down.

So where does this leave us? On one hand, impeachment complaints against Marcos were dismissed for lack of substance. On the other, we’re now hearing about alleged billions in kickbacks tied directly to the President’s supposed phone number. If true, this is betrayal of public trust at the highest level. If false, then it’s a dangerous game of revenge that risks destabilizing the country.

We want clarity. Were flood-control funds — meant to protect lives during typhoons — really being siphoned off into campaign coffers? Or is this just another round of political mudslinging? Either way, the stakes are enormous: billions in infrastructure money, campaign financing, and the credibility of the presidency itself.

The scandal now boils down to one sharp question: How long must we tolerate leaders who treat public funds like their personal campaign wallets?

(Image: Bongbong Marcos | Facebook)