Five former and current government officials connected to Education Secretary Sonny Angara and his late father, former Senator Edgardo Angara, have been implicated in budget insertions.
According to reports, the group called “Angara 5” has an extensive political network across government agencies but began to fracture due to the flood control corruption scandal.
First implicated in the issue was former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, who was named by a whistleblower as allegedly receiving 12% kickbacks from flood-control projects to be given to Secretary Angara.
Olaivar, a Sigma Rho fraternity brother of the Angara family, was forced to resign after being implicated. He previously worked for the late senator.
A source stated that aside from the Department of Education, Olaivar also allegedly had connections with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Besides Olaivar, others included in the “Angara 5” are former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Ronald Ang, DBM Undersecretary Wilford Wong, and DICT Undersecretary Faye Condez-De Sagon.
Pangandaman resigned after being accused of handling the ₱100 billion budget insertion of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Ang served as a consultant to the late Angara, previously managed a construction company, and is now director of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
DBM Undersecretary Wilford Wong, assigned to local government and regional operations, is an Angara protégé and played an important role in Pangandaman’s insertions.
The last is DICT Undersecretary Faye Condez-De Sagon, who previously denied being involved in the insertions. However, sources indicate she has long had connections with Sigma Rho members. When she married in 2018, both Olaivar and Pangandaman reportedly attended.
Attempts were made to get comments from Secretary Angara but he did not respond. Instead, he posted a message on X (formerly Twitter)
“We can take demolition jobs, that’s part of being in politics—but please don’t involve the dead because they can no longer answer back,” emphasized Angara.
Sigma Rho fraternity
Sigma Rho is a prominent law-based fraternity in the Philippines, founded in 1938 at the University of the Philippines College of Law. It was established to foster camaraderie and academic excellence among law students and has since produced many of the country’s most influential lawyers, justices, and political leaders. The fraternity is known for its rigorous initiation rites and its significant, enduring influence within the Philippine legal and political spheres.
Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the federal government, established in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. It was created to promote student achievement and ensure equal access to education by consolidating various federal education programs that were previously scattered across other agencies. Its mission focuses on establishing policy, administering federal financial aid for education, and collecting data on US schools.
Department of Information and Communications Technology
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is a relatively new executive department of the Philippine government, established in 2016. It was created to consolidate and take over the functions of several former information and technology-related agencies. The department’s primary mandate is to plan, develop, and promote the country’s national ICT agenda and infrastructure.
Department of Budget and Management
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is the Philippine government’s executive body responsible for the sound and efficient use of public resources. It was formally established as an independent department in 1936, evolving from earlier budget offices to centralize and professionalize the management of the national budget. Its primary function is to formulate the country’s National Budget and ensure government agencies utilize their funds effectively to implement programs and deliver services.
Ako Bicol Party-list
Ako Bicol Party-list is a political organization in the Philippines representing the Bicol Region. It was established to advocate for the welfare and development of Bicolanos, focusing on socio-economic programs and disaster resilience in a region frequently affected by natural calamities. It functions as a party-list group in the House of Representatives, aiming to give voice to the specific needs of its constituents.
Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is a Philippine government corporation responsible for designating, developing, and managing tourism enterprise zones across the country. It was created under the Tourism Act of 2009 to boost tourism by offering fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to private investors. Through this, TIEZA aims to develop sustainable and globally competitive tourism destinations and infrastructure.
X (formerly Twitter)
X, originally launched as Twitter in 2006, is a major social media platform enabling users to share short messages called “tweets.” It was rebranded as X in 2023 following its acquisition by Elon Musk, who aimed to transform it into a broader “everything app.” The platform has played a significant role in global communication, from personal networking to real-time news dissemination and social movements.
