Donate

KWEBA ni BAROK

CADIZ BOWS OUT: “Heroic Self-Deportation” or Presidential Bagman’s Golden Parachute?

Published by

Louis ‘Barok’ Biraogo

on

CADIZ BOWS OUT: “Heroic Self-Deportation” or Presidential Bagman’s Golden Parachute?
Palace Spins Exit as “Moral Victory” While the Money Finishes Packing for Dubai

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — December 6, 2025

Opening Salvo: Clap Harder, Peasants – The Palace Says We Should Be “Happy” When Crooks Self-Eject

PETMALU mga ka-kweba, another high-ranking official “gracefully” steps aside while the Palace tells us to clap like trained seals. DOJ (Department of Justice) Undersecretary Jojo Cadiz has tendered his resignation—effective immediately, details to follow, investigation status: lol. According to Palace mouthpiece Claire Castro, we should all be happy that alleged bagmen of the President now have the decency to self-deport from government before the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) even sharpens its pencils. Because nothing screams accountability like a quiet exit stage left while the evidence is still warm (Inquirer, 5 Dec. 2025).

Yes, Claire, we’re positively giddy. It’s like watching a bank robber politely return the ski mask and say, “I think I’ll stop robbing banks now.” How noble. How convenient. How utterly, predictably Filipino.

“Remember, kids: In the Philippines, the early bird catches the worm; the early bureaucrat catches the plane.”

The Bagman Ballet: Choreographed Disappearance in Three Easy Steps

Let’s recap the choreography, shall we?

Former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co—suddenly possessed by the spirit of truth after years of loyal silence—goes on video and says, paraphrased: “Martin Romualdez handed me bags of cash from flood-control projects and told me to deliver them to Jojo Cadiz near the President’s residence.” Specific. Damning. On camera.

The DOJ’s response? Crickets. Then Acting Secretary Frederick Vida discovers a sudden jurisdictional allergy: “Bagman allegations? Sorry, that’s for the Office of the Ombudsman (created by Republic Act No. 6770 – The Ombudsman Act of 1989).” And poof—Cadiz goes on “leave,” misses his return date, and now resigns before anyone can ask him to explain why a 19-year-old college kid suddenly owns a construction company that magically scores ₱200+ million in Ilocos Norte flood-control contracts.

This isn’t resignation. This is the activation of the Fall Guy Protocol™: when the heat gets too high, the designated heat shield voluntarily combusts so the mothership can sail on unscathed.

My Son the Teenage Tycoon: The ₱200-Million “School Project” That Won Government Contracts

Nothing to see here, folks. Just a 19-year-old incorporating JSJ Builders in 2023—initials conveniently matching Jose, Son, Junior—and then, purely by coincidence, his father becomes DOJ Undersecretary and suddenly the family firm is swimming in DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) contracts like a catfish in a pork barrel.

This is the classic dummy-corporation playbook, except they didn’t even bother to make the dummy look grown-up. It’s not a shell company; it’s a high-school science project with ₱200 million in revenue. Next time just register it as “My Son’s Fish Ball Stand & Flood Control Empire, Inc.”—at least it would be honest.

Mr. Cadiz, care to explain your son’s precocious talent for winning multi-million infrastructure bids before he can legally drink? Or is civil engineering now part of the DepEd K-12 curriculum we somehow missed?

Legal Arsenal on Standby: Tools Exist, Spines Apparently Optional

Good news, peasants: we have laws for exactly this. Bad news: they require someone with a spine to use them.

  1. Republic Act No. 1379 – The “Where’d You Get the Money, Bro?” Law
    The Supreme Court, in its November 2025 Ligot decision, just reminded everyone that RA 1379 is alive, reloaded, and doesn’t give a damn if the assets are titled to your dog. Once the Solicitor General shows the wealth is “manifestly out of proportion” to lawful income—burden shifts to you, Jojo. Explain. With receipts. Putting everything in your teenager’s name isn’t genius; it’s a prosecutorial gift basket. The SC literally laughed Ligot out of court for trying the same stunt. Precedent is delicious.
  2. Republic Act No. 7080 – The Plunder Law – because ₱200 million in suspiciously timed contracts smells like a “series or combination of overt acts.” Life imprisonment, no parole. Cute.
  3. Republic Act No. 3019 – Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act – pick your section:
    • Sec. 3(e) causing undue injury/giving unwarranted benefits
    • Sec. 3(h) financial interest in a cockeyed contract
    • Sec. 3(b) receiving something of value in connection with official duties (hello, Zaldy Co’s cash bags)

Defenses we can expect:

  • “My son is a prodigy.”
  • “I had no idea JSJ existed.”
  • “I was just holding the bag—literally—for a friend.”

All of these will fold faster than a House committee when the Speaker walks in.

Evidence needed? SEC filings, bank records, DPWH payment vouchers, Zaldy Co under oath, and one competent forensic accountant. Seize them now before they “accidentally” catch fire.

Claire Castro’s Masterclass in Gaslighting: Resignation = Reset Button

Claire Castro, bless her heart, actually said—with a straight face—that we should be happy when the President’s allies resign the moment they’re accused.

Let me translate the Palace lexicon for you:

  • “Voluntarily resigned” = case closed
  • “Fact-finding ongoing” = we’re still shredding
  • “No decision or judgment yet” = please forget by next week

Claire, patron saint of resignation absolution: resignation is not absolution. It’s not even suspension. It’s a plane ticket and a head start. Is the resignation accepted? Will Cadiz be investigated or just allowed to disappear into the same private-sector sunset that welcomed Vic Rodriguez, Trixie Cruz-Angeles, and every other sacrificial lamb?

Stop insulting our intelligence. Give us timelines, not platitudes.

This Is the Impunity Stress Test – Will the System Fold Again?

If Cadiz walks away with his (sorry, his son’s) hundreds of millions intact, every future bagman now has the playbook:

  1. Get appointed
  2. Incorporate company in teenager’s name
  3. Collect kickbacks
  4. Resign “voluntarily” when caught
  5. Retire rich

Congratulations, Philippines. We just formalized impunity with better branding.

Do This or Admit You’re Just Cosplaying Governance

  1. Solicitor General: file the RA 1379 forfeiture petition yesterday. Freeze everything—JSJ Builders, bank accounts, condos, the kid’s trust fund, the family dog’s kibble budget.
  2. Ombudsman: stop “fact-finding” and start subpoenaing. Make it public. Livestream the raids for all I care.
  3. AMLC: freeze orders on every related account before the money finishes its victory lap in Dubai.
  4. DOJ: stop pretending you have no jurisdiction when your own Undersecretary is the subject. Refer upward or get out of the way.
  5. Claire Castro: next briefing, bring facts. Dates. Actions. Or just admit the script says “resignation = reset button.”

This isn’t about one bagman. This is about whether the Marcos Jr. administration is serious or just doing cosplay governance. So far, the costume department is earning its budget.

Tick-tock, Malacañang. The country is watching. And we’re done clapping.

Keeping the torch lit while they shred the evidence,

–Barok

Key Citations

Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo

Leave a comment

Hello,

I’m Louis ‘Barok’ Biraogo

Let’s connect

Join the fun!

Stay updated with our latest tutorials and ideas by joining our newsletter.

Recent posts