FOR ONE, NOBODY in the government would want to be fired. Regardless of whether the position is earned via election or political accommodation, termination from work tarnishes one’s reputation — dooming even the career.
Following the resignation of two of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s most trusted appointees, Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar took the same path after being implicated multiple times in alleged kickbacks from government projects.
Olaivar was appointed DepEd undersecretary in August 2024, a month after Education Secretary Sonny Angara assumed office.
He previously worked as a staff member of then-senators Bong Revilla, the late Edgardo Angara, and Sonny Angara.
NOT THE PRESIDENT
Senator Panfilo Lacson has name-dropped Olaivar and former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Carlos Bersamin as beneficiaries of government kickbacks.
This was following resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Elizaldy Co’s released a video, accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of inserting ₱100 billion into the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Olaivar had earlier been implicated by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo in the flood control scandal.
ZALDY CO LYING
While Lacson said the ₱100 billion is real and was inserted during the bicameral hearings, he added that what Co is claiming is not true.
According to Lacson, he received information from Bernardo himself that there are people in Malacañang, unauthorized by the President, who misrepresented him.
“What Zaldy Co is claiming on social media—as posted—that he delivered ₱25 billion representing the alleged 25 percent commission for the President, that I will attest is not true. That is absolutely untrue or completely false.”
Bernardo said that out of the ₱100 billion, ₱81 billion was assigned to the DPWH, and he personally handled ₱52 billion of it.
₱8 BILLION DELIVERY
Lacson said Bernardo personally handled the delivery of kickbacks to Olaivar only, and never to the President.
Bernardo also believes Bersamin was with Olaivar when he handed over the ₱8 billion in at least 10 deliveries.
“The modus—their arrangement—was that each of them had their own armored van. Usec. Olaivar had an armored van, and he also had one. They would park at the basement of the Diamond Hotel, and the van driven by Olaivar would arrive, possibly along with Adrian Bersamin,” said Lacson.
“The empty armored van would be parked, and the other van full of money would be dropped off. The amounts ranged from ₱800 million to ₱2 billion,” he added.
The biggest delivery was ₱2 billion, which accumulated on March 11, when former President Rodrigo Duterte was being arrested by the ICC, according to Lacson.
15 PERCENT CUT
Meanwhile, in his testimony to the Blue Ribbon Committee on September 25, Bernardo first implicated Olaivar in receiving kickbacks from government projects.
According to Bernardo, Olaivar contacted him in 2024 to discuss unprogrammed allocations for the Office of the Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin totaling ₱2.85 billion for flood control, street lighting, and road construction projects.
Former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara would even deliver a 15 percent commission to him or Olaivar in Magallanes, Makati, and other places.
“Sometime in 2024, Usec. Olaivar personally called me for a meeting to discuss unprogrammed allocations supposedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary. In the said meeting, he requested me to submit a list of projects. After the meeting, I asked Bulacan 1st DEO (District Engineering Office) to prepare a list of projects for funding.”
“Thereafter, Engineer Alcantara submitted a list of projects worth ₱2.85 billion. Here to attach as Annex B is a list of those projects. Subsequently, I submitted this list to Usec. Olaivar. Usec. Olaivar told me that the commitment is 15%—in his words, kinse ‘yan (that’s 15%),” Bernardo added.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
In response to the September allegations, Olaivar denied involvement in the kickback brouhaha even as he expressed willingness to undergo an impartial investigation.
“I deny the allegations made and want to state clearly that I welcome any investigation regarding this matter. To allow 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.”
Bersamin likewise warded off the allegations.
ANGARA’S PET?
However, on November 14, Bernardo again tagged Olaivar and Angara back when Angara was chairman of the finance committee.
“Usec. Trygve and I also had transactions concerning Senator Angara between 2019 and 2024, where Usec. Trygve received deliveries representing 12% of the projects of Senator Sonny Angara when the latter was chairman of finance,” he said.
Angara categorically denied the claim: “We reject any insinuation made today that we were involved in anomalous projects. In my 21 years in government, we have never been involved in corruption,” he said in a social media post.
Olaivar has yet to respond to the allegations as of writing.