MANILA, Philippines — Former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin slammed insinuations he was the “ES” mentioned in the files of deceased former public works undersecretary Catalina Cabral. “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 (Department of Public Works and Highways) projects under the GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2025,” he said in a statement late Sunday. “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 added. Bersamin was reacting to statement of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson that Cabral’s records tagged at least five Cabinet members who allegedly had allocable and non-allocable funds under the 2025 national budget, including an official identified only as “ES” with a reported P8.3 billion in insertions. Bersamin that such claim “only serves to raise more questions about the deeply flawed budget process followed at the DPWH” and that the so-called “Cabral Files” must be “thoroughly scrutinized to unmask those behind the budget manipulation.” He expressed his willingness to face any inquiry related to the matter. “I respectfully call on all investigative bodies to place this matter at the top of their agenda. This matter strikes directly at the integrity of the national budget itself and must be fully investigated without delay,” Bersamin said. Bersamin, along with budget chief Amenah Pangandaman, stepped down last November after his office was linked to alleged anomalous flood control projects.