Members of the House of Representatives plan to ask Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to identify the lawmakers he allegedly accused of corruption following his strong statement against Congress last Saturday. Bersamin criticized certain House members for attempting to shift blame for their own corruption and failures onto the Executive Branch. He warned that investigations into flood control anomalies would be futile if corruption sources remain unchecked, urging the House to “CLEAN YOUR HOUSE FIRST!”
House Infrastructure Committee co-chair Terry Ridon said Bersamin clarified he was referring to only one lawmaker, not the entire House. However, Ridon noted, “Kahit nagpaliwanag na si ES Bersamin, medyo mabigat ‘yung mga salita. Talagang nagtuturo siya na corrupt ‘yung mga miyembro ng House of Representatives.” He added that Bersamin’s statement might be discussed during the budget deliberations for the Office of the President.
Ridon questioned why Bersamin’s statement used broad language if only one member was involved, asking, “Ibig ba niyang sabihin, ‘yung single House member na iyon ay involved sa corruption?” He emphasized that lawmakers have not blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or Malacañang for issues in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). Even the Senate supported the House’s position on problematic budget items.
Earlier, Congress returned the NEP to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), citing “poorly constructed” flood control projects and suspicious district budget allocations. House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Jose Alvarez said lawmakers agreed to wait 10 days for the DBM and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to address errors in the proposed budget.
President Marcos Jr. has ordered a “sweeping review” of the DPWH budget under the 2026 NEP to identify and remove any insertions or duplications.
Ridon also revealed plans to investigate the corporate structure of construction firms linked to the Discaya couple and MG Samidan Construction and Development Corp., a top government contractor on flood mitigation projects. He noted concerns over MG Samidan’s reported P1 billion in assets despite only P250,000 paid-up capital in 2019, calling it a “red flag” since most projects are concentrated in Abra province.