The lawyer of the 18 ex-bodyguards of former Ako Bicol Representative turned fugitive Zaldy Co, Atty. Levi Baligod, said he will present another set of witnesses — 14 more ex-Marines and seven individuals — who will corroborate the affidavits of his first 18 witnesses.
“We will submit to Senator Robin Padilla another 14 former Marines, also former employees of former Representative Zaldy Co, who allegedly also delivered money to various personalities. Their names will be submitted to Senator Padilla, who will then file them with the committee,” Baligod said in a press conference in Padilla’s Senate office on Monday.
The 18 ex-Marines — referred to by some senators as kargadors (porters) and basureros (garbage collectors) — allegedly served as bagmen of Co, transporting and delivering luggage filled with billions of pesos from anomalous flood control projects to various government officials.
During the press conference, Baligod questioned why new Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo and members of the Gatchalian bloc were both the accusers and accused in the probe.
He noted that Tulfo, along with Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, were among those named by the 18 witnesses as recipients of suitcases allegedly containing cash from Co. Both senators have denied the allegations and said they intend to file libel charges.
“He is the investigator and the judge at the same time. In a democracy with a functioning justice system, that should not happen — where the accused is also the one investigating and deciding who is telling the truth and who is lying,” Baligod said in Filipino.
He said it was only natural that Tulfo would consider him and his clients liars.
“As chair, he can cite us in contempt, punish us, and even have us detained. Will he say we are telling the truth? That is why I am asking the Senate to observe its own rules. If you do not follow your rules, how can you expect non-senators to follow them? I also appeal for statesmanship and delicadeza (propriety) regarding the names mentioned in the affidavits,” he said, urging Tulfo to inhibit himself from the proceedings.
‘Why all the drama?’
Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian questioned why the 18 ex-bodyguards of Co did not raise their concerns during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing yesterday despite their being in the Senate building, in the office of Padilla. He described their press conference as a “drama.”
“If they had a statement, they should have presented it during the official hearing. They were already here at the Senate. Why all the drama of a press conference? This is the proper venue. If your conscience is clear, you should testify here,” Gatchalian said.
‘No heroes’
At yesterday’s hearing conducted by the Gatchalian bloc, Sen. Raffy Tulfo questioned the credibility of the 18 former bodyguards of Co, calling them kargadors and criticizing their being labeled as “former Marines” or “heroes.”
“Not all of them are former Marines. More than half were discharged without honors or were dishonorably discharged due to various offenses. Let us be careful in calling people heroes. That is misleading and reflects on us as senators,” Tulfo said.
He said individuals admitting to transporting alleged kickbacks should not be glorified.
“They are not heroes. They are part of a syndicate,” he said.
Tulfo also warned against easily believing claims made in politically charged testimonies.
