In a political firestorm that threatens to engulf the highest levels of government, former Ako Bicol Representative Saldico has dropped a bombshell accusation, claiming none other than President Marcos Jr. personally directed the insertion of a staggering 100 billion in the national budget. The revelation, which has sent shockwaves through Manila, was immediately met with resistance from political veterans, but Saldico is not backing down. He’s come armed with what he calls “receipts,” and he’s daring the Senate to prove him wrong.

The saga ignited when reports surfaced that Saldico’s planned testimony via Zoom before the Blue Ribbon Committee was abruptly blocked, allegedly by Senator Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto. Lacson, acting as the committee’s gatekeeper, publicly dismissed Saldico’s claims as mere “narration” or a “story” lacking any “probative value” unless delivered under oath. He suggested Saldico, who claims his life is in danger, fly to a Philippine embassy and swear to his testimony.

It was a classic political dismissal. But Saldico didn’t just fade away; he counter-attacked.

In a blistering response, Saldico effectively “slapped” Lacson, Sotto, and the entire committee with his evidence. He challenged the veteran senator directly: “Read the full list of insertions… done under the directive of President Marcos and clearly reflected in the GAAT 2025.”

He didn’t stop there. He urged Lacson to “cross-check the NEP 2025 to verify if the same line items appear there,” even providing a list with exact page references. The message was clear: this wasn’t a “story.” This was documented. “The public deserves a fair, complete, and evidence-based investigation,” Saldico declared, “not conclusions drawn without first seeing the whole picture.”

This offensive has exposed a frantic effort to control the narrative. Lacson and other administration allies have pushed a two-pronged “script” to defend the President. First, they ask why Marcos would bother with a messy insertion in the Bicameral Conference Committee (BCAM) when he has “complete control” over the National Expenditure Program (NEP). Second, they point out that Marcos eventually vetoed the very funds in question.

But critics and observers are calling this a laughably transparent defense. The answer, they claim, is simple: it was done “so it wouldn’t be obvious.”

A popular analogy is now circulating to describe the President’s tactic: the man who quietly passes gas in a crowded room is always the first one to loudly shout, “Who did that?!” By ordering an investigation into the very mess he allegedly created, Marcos was simply trying to get ahead of the “stench” he knew was about to erupt. He knew the “storm” was coming and tried to position himself as the one holding the umbrella.

At the heart of this scandal is a question of power. Saldico, as a “party-list” representative, is a relatively minor player. As one commentator noted, “He cannot be that powerful” to orchestrate a 100 billion fund movement on his own. Such a massive operation, observers argue, is impossible “without a go signal from the top.”

This isn’t the work of one man; it’s the work of a “syndicate.” And every syndicate has a “mastermind.” All eyes are now pointing not only to Marcos but also to his cousin and key ally, “Tambi” Romualdez. The accusation is that this trio—Marcos, Romualdez, and Saldico—formed the core of this operation.

This is where the political theater becomes truly bizarre. Senator Lacson, once a fierce critic, is now being accused of acting as the President’s personal “abogado” (lawyer). His attempts to shut down Saldico are seen not as impartial investigation, but as a desperate act of defense. He and other “Pinklawan” (Pink) figures, including allegedly Senator De Lima, have suddenly found themselves shielding the very administration they once claimed to oppose.

Why? The answer, according to insiders, is a toxic political calculation. The “Pinks” are terrified of a single alternative: a Vice President Sara Duterte presidency.

They are being “forced to eat Bongbong Marcos’s dirt,” as one analyst crudely put it. They are allegedly willing to tolerate the current administration’s massive mess because they see it as the lesser of two evils. Their primary concern is no longer rooting out corruption, but ensuring that Duterte never takes the Palace. This has put them in the impossible and hypocritical position of defending the indefensible. “They are not concerned with the people,” one vlogger raged. “They just don’t want Duterte to sit” in power.

This political shield, however, is beginning to crack under the pressure of the President’s own words. In a recent interview, Marcos was asked directly if his cousin “Tambi” was on the list of involved lawmakers. His response was a telling, stammering mess: “I don’t think so… no, no… not as yet. If something else comes out, then he might have to be answerable.”

That “not as yet” was heard by critics as a Freudian slip—a clear admission of a cover-up. It suggests that he is protecting his cousin, for now.

But “for now” is the key phrase. Saldico has warned Lacson and the public to “relax,” because his revelation is “only Part 1.” More evidence is coming, and it is expected to be strategically dropped during an upcoming 3-day public rally.

This rally is now seen as the critical tipping point. If it gains momentum, the “ship” will truly begin to sink. And when it does, a final, brutal political act is expected to play out: Marcos will sacrifice his cousin.

An inside opinion is gaining traction: “Tambi” will be “ilalaglag” (dropped or sacrificed). The logic is cold and clear. “If [Marcos] sacrificed the one who jailed his father… who are you? You are just a cousin,” one source warned. “He will throw ‘Tambi’ under the bus to save himself.”

The advice to Romualdez is stark: “Speak first. Before he sacrifices you, you expose him.”

The nation is now bracing for “Part 2” of Saldico’s exposé. The 3-day rally is no longer just a protest; it’s a countdown. If the crowd is large enough and the evidence is strong enough, observers expect to see politicians and vloggers “flip” sides in a desperate scramble for survival. The unholy alliances will shatter, and the two cousins at the center of the syndicate will, as predicted, turn on each other. The stench is out, and the battle for who gets left with the blame has begun.