Lawyer accuses Marcos, ICC of graft involvement

Attorney Levito “Levi” Baligod on Tuesday claimed he holds substantial evidence allegedly exposing corruption within the Philippine government and the operations of the International Criminal Court in the country.

Baligod, together with 18 Marines said to be former comrades of surprise witness Master Sgt. Orly Regala Guteza, appeared at a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan.

The former 2016 senatorial candidate presented documents that he said contained affidavits of the Marines recounting operations involving the delivery of suitcases of money to various undisclosed politicians.

He claimed that hundreds of deliveries were linked to alleged anomalies in flood control projects and that the funds were collected from the residence of former House official Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co.

“Hindi pa nila nakukuha ang kontrata ay nag-uumpisa na silang mag-remit kay ginoong Zaldy Co, doon sa kanyang bahay sa Valle Verde Phase 6 sa Pasig City,” he asserted.

Baligod said Co allegedly had staff assigned to verify the amounts in each bag before the money was placed back into suitcases and delivered to officials.

He alleged that around P805 billion had been delivered by the Marines to politicians, including President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whom he described as the mastermind behind the disbursement of funds.

“Ang ugat at pinuno ng pagnanakaw sa ating bayan ay walang iba kundi si President Marcos, at hindi gagalaw si speaker Romualdez at si Zaldy Co na walang pahintulot kay PBBM,” Baligod claimed.

“I hold him responsible, because being the chief executive, being the head of the executive branch, he is the chief implementer of laws,” he added.

Baligod also alleged that investigators from the ICC, which launched an investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, benefited from the supposed corruption.

He claimed that before the ICC’s arrival in the country in December 2023, the Marines were tasked with converting two bags containing P56 million, allegedly intended for “foreigners,” based on Co’s instructions.

According to Baligod, these “foreigners” were later identified by the Marines as ICC officers who would interview witnesses allegedly selected by former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.

“Wala silang ininterview na mga witnesses kundi ang mga tao lamang na pinapadala ni Sonny Trillanes, at ibinigay kay Sonny Trillanes ang pondo para sa pag-asikaso sa mga ICC investigators,” he said.

The Marines also claimed that interviews were conducted in private properties rather than government offices.

Baligod further argued that the ICC chose to conduct investigations in the Philippines because it is classified as a “third-world country,” claiming the tribunal could not impose its authority over wealthier nations. He added that he believes the ICC was unable to conduct a “bona fide” investigation and that its jurisdiction in the Philippines was “manufactured,” asserting that ICC jurisdiction ended in March 2019.

“The ICC investigators, themselves, committed graft and corruption, dahil bakit hinayaan nila na lahat ng sasakyan, lahat ng pagkain, lahat ng accomodations nila ay sinagot ng mga tao na kilala naman nila na kalaban ng kanilang iniimbestigahan,” Baligod said.

Baligod said they plan to file a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman and expressed hope that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla would “remain true to his oath of office.”

“Humahawak ako sa manipis na pag-asa na gagawin ng ombudsman ang kanyang trabaho,” he stated.

He added that if the case does not gain traction under the current administration, he is willing to wait for the next administration to reopen the investigation.

“We will prove that the conduct of the ICC investigators in the Philippines is unprecedented, because they were dined and wined by people who are publicly known to be opponents of the people hosting them,” he emphasized.