2028 sparks start

A test of the truthfulness of the bombshell that lawyer Levi Baligod dropped about a fantastic P805 billion in slush funds delivered to high-ranking officials, which was even allegedly used to pay for the accommodations of International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators, has become the subject of debate.

Baligod presented 18 individuals who claimed to be former members of the Philippine Marine Corps and who had served as security escorts for former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co, now a fugitive suspected of being the bagman in the multibillion-peso flood control racket.

The 18 claimed to have delivered approximately P805 billion in cash-filled suitcases to unnamed high-ranking government officials under orders from Co.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV allegedly received $2 million — or about P112 million — from Co in late 2023 that was purportedly converted from US dollars to pesos and placed in two suitcases each containing P56 million to pay for the ICC investigators’ accommodations, transportation, and other expenses while they were here investigating former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

The allegations, however, should be viewed in the context of lawyer Jun Sabio’s experience. Sabio had filed the case for crimes against humanity against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Sabio was in the stable of destabilizer Trillanes and he later revealed that the filing of cases against Duterte was part of a demolition operation against the latter.

Baligod’s announced plans to file a formal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, expressing limited hope in the current administration’s response, saying, “I am holding on to a thin hope that the Ombudsman will do its job.” He indicated that he would wait for a future administration if necessary.

The allegations he made deserve intense scrutiny, as they may have a direct bearing on the flood control corruption scandal.

Baligod’s revelations echoed allegations made earlier by Co’s former security officer, ex-Marine Sgt. Orly Guteza, who testified in a Senate hearing about “luggage deliveries” of cash. The method Trillanes employed was similar to that used in his past demolition jobs, particularly the ICC filing of Sabio.

In April 2017, Sabio submitted a communication to the ICC accusing Duterte of crimes against humanity related to extrajudicial killings in the drug war.

Sabio represented confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) members Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas, who were also known pawns of Trillanes.

Much of the prosecution’s claims against Duterte, presented in the ongoing ICC pre-trial proceedings based on the testimonies of unnamed witnesses, were similar to the discredited claims of the Trillanes minions.

Sabio later publicly accused Trillanes of withholding promised funds once media attention waned, describing it as a “bitter falling out” over money.

Sabio claimed he had been used “when needed” for publicity but abandoned afterward, alleging that the opposition’s motives were “sheer politics” rather than justice.

In January 2020, Sabio withdrew his communication to the ICC, saying it was used as a “tool for propaganda” by opposition figures, including Trillanes and then Rep. Leila de Lima.

Trillanes, for his part, maintained that Sabio served only as a facilitator rather than the principal complainant.

The episode highlights the competing narratives and political tensions surrounding the case, with differing claims over roles, motives, and the credibility of those involved.

It previews the fireworks expected in the next presidential polls.