FEBRUARY 16, 2026 — The Senate President Pro Tempore dropped the hammer when he dismissed allegations linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to supposed kickbacks from flood control projects. His verdict? “Triple hearsay.” And in politics, that’s as good as saying: don’t waste my time.

Here’s the drama: ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice claimed that former PLLO undersecretary Adrian Bersamin had exchanged Signal messages with Marcos about “collections” from flood control projects. But the catch? They didn’t hear it from Bersamin directly. They said Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste told them Bersamin supposedly said it during a meeting at his house in Taal, Batangas. 

That’s where Lacson pounced.

“Coming from Reps. Erice and Tinio, that’s triple hearsay. They quoted Rep. Leandro Leviste, who quoted Usec. Bersamin. That’s triple hearsay,” he argued. 

Triple hearsay. Triple confusion. Triple headache for the public.

Lacson insists he checked the Blue Ribbon Committee’s records himself. 

“I checked the records of the hearings. There was no record of former Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin being mentioned in text messages,” he said. 

What does this mean? No paper trail, no case.

So for now, Lacson refuses to call a hearing based on what he calls “baseless hearsay.” But he left the door open: if Bersamin himself testifies or submits a sworn affidavit, then the committee might bite. Until then, the allegations remain floating in the air — juicy enough to stir suspicion, but too flimsy to stick.

But, if truth be told, even if the accusations are “triple hearsay,” they still plant seeds of doubt. Are we unprotected from floods and being flooded with lies?

This is the kind of scandal that fuels distrust in government. And distrust is dangerous. It breeds apathy, cynicism, and disengagement. If people stop believing in accountability, who wins? Certainly not the taxpayers.

Are you backing Lacson's “triple hearsay” defense, or will you demand the accusers to spill more?

(Image: Senate of the Philippines | Facebook)