Former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin denied any involvement in the P8.3 billion Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects allegedly linked to him in the controversial so-called “Cabral Files.”
Bersamin, who is also a former Chief Justice, expressed shock and outrage over insinuations that the tag “ES” in the files referred to him during his tenure as Executive Secretary.
“I am aghast and outraged at the insinuation that the tag ‘ES’ found in the so-called Cabral Files pertained to me as the then Executive Secretary to whom was allocated P8.3 billion worth of DPWH projects under the GAA 2025,” Bersamin said in a statement sent to Palace reporters on Sunday.
On Saturday, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said documents from the DPWH and from the camp of the late DPWH Undersecretary indicate that at least five Cabinet secretaries and several undersecretaries had “allocables” and/or “non-allocables” worth billions of pesos in the proposed 2025 national budget.
Lacson said the documents revealed entries showing large amounts linked to high-ranking executive officials, including one identified only as “ES” with P8.3 billion and former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan with allocables totaling at least P30.5 billion for 2025 alone.
“At least five Cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables, according to the documents,” Lacson said.
“I was surprised at one entry that said ‘ES, P8 billion.’ How did one ‘ES’ get allocables?," he further lamented.
Bersamin firmly denied ever requesting, endorsing, approving, or authorizing any DPWH project or budget allocation, emphasizing that he never instructed anyone, inside or outside government, to use his name or office for such purposes.
“I emphatically state that I did not ever request, endorse, approve, or authorize any DPWH project or budget allocation at any stage of the budget process. I also deny having instructed anyone, whether inside or outside of the government, to use my name or that of my former office for any such purpose,” he said.
Bersamin described the incident as a reflection of a “deeply flawed budget process” at the DPWH and called for a thorough scrutiny of the Cabral Files to identify those responsible for alleged budget manipulation.
“I strongly urge that the so-called Cabral Files should be thoroughly scrutinized to unmask those behind the budget manipulation,” he said.
He also called on investigative bodies to prioritize the matter, stressing that it “strikes directly at the integrity of the national budget itself” and “must be fully investigated without delay.”
The former justice concluded by expressing his willingness to “cooperate with any legislative, administrative, or judicial inquiry into the matter.”
In a television interview on Sunday, Palace Press Officer, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, called for an investigation into how the so-called “Cabral files” were sourced.
Castro emphasized the need to determine the origin of the documents, noting that any evidence pointing to the involvement of Cabinet members should be thoroughly investigated.
Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste earlier claimed the files contained a summary of the 2025 DPWH budget allegedly provided to him by Cabral before her death.
According to Leviste, the summary lists proposed projects per congressional district, totaling P401.3 billion in allocated funds, which he said could balloon to P1.041 trillion when “outside allocable” funds are included.
Leviste said he received the files in September while Cabral was still undersecretary and after Dizon assumed his post as DPWH Secretary.
However, Dizon clarified that he has not authenticated any of the documents in Leviste’s possession, questioning how verification could occur without seeing the files himself.
“Kung hindi pa niya nakikita, papaano niya maa-authenticate? (If he haven’t seen it, how can he authenticate ” Castro asked, highlighting concerns over the credibility and legality of the document transfer. She noted that if evidence is obtained illegally, it loses probative value.
Leviste defended his actions, insisting that the documents were acquired legally and can be verified with publicly available data.
“Ang dapat mangyari dito ay hindi natin itakpan ang mga proyekto na pino-propose ng mga mambabatas. Dapat ilabas ang mga proyekto para ma-check ng mga kababayan natin sa bawat distrito ang kalidad ng mga proyekto,” he said.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects, in which Cabral was previously implicated. Cabral was found dead on December 19 near the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet, 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road.
Before her death, the Department of Justice (DOJ) was set to refer a plunder case involving Cabral and several DPWH officials in Bulacan to the Office of the Ombudsman. Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon confirmed the case also involves project proponents who may have benefitted from the alleged irregularities.
Castro stressed that transparency is key.
“Lahat naman tayo ay gusto ng katotohanan. Kung katotohanan lang din ang gusto natin, agad-agad ipakita. ‘Wag nang patumpik-tumpik,” she said.