Daily Tribune
18-ex marines at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Hearing on Thursday, 4 June.
Aram Lascano
A group of alleged former bodyguards and security aides of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co on Tuesday expanded their allegations of a supposed flood-control kickback network.
During a press conference convened by former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor, the “Brave 18” claimed to have participated in cash deliveries allegedly tied to commissions.
One witness alleged that he was part of a convoy that transported four suitcases to a residence identified as belonging to Escudero in New Manila.
According to the witness, the convoy originated from Bonifacio Global City and involved members of Co's security detail.
"Nag-a-take kami ng apat na maleta na may iba-ibang sukat," he said.
The witness claimed photographs and reports were prepared following the operation, although no such materials were publicly presented during Tuesday's briefing.
Escudero has not publicly responded to the allegation.
Another witness claimed he personally delivered a black hand-carry bag allegedly containing P10 million to Garcia at a condominium building in Makati.
The witness said he recognized the Comelec chair during the transaction.
Garcia had not issued a statement as of posting time.
Former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III was likewise mentioned by witnesses who alleged that large suitcases were delivered to a building associated with the veteran broadcaster-turned-lawmaker.
No documentary evidence was presented to support the claim.
The allegations also reached the media industry.
One witness claimed that Tulfo regularly received paper bags during meetings held in Quezon City.
According to the witness, the bags supposedly contained between P2 million and P3 million.
The witness did not present photographs, videos or documentary records supporting the allegation.
Another witness identified Clavio during questioning and alleged that the broadcaster attended meetings involving a political public relations operator.
When asked whether money changed hands during those meetings, the witness replied: "May involved na pera."
The witness provided no additional evidence supporting the claim.
Neither Tulfo nor Clavio had publicly responded to the allegations as of Tuesday evening.
The naming of two prominent media personalities represented a significant escalation in the controversy, which until now had largely centered on politicians and government officials.
Several witnesses also directed allegations at PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
One former aide claimed Torre attempted to persuade former members of Co's security team to execute affidavits contradicting the statements of retired military officer Orly Goteza, among the earliest whistleblowers in the controversy.
"Inumpisahan na po kaming kausapin ni General Torre para bigyan ng mga offer, katulad ng cellphone po," one witness said.
"Tapos binigyan rin po kami ng P50,000 para kapalit sa affidavit na magpapatunay na papasinungalingan namin yung mga pahayag ni Taporli Goteza."
The witness further alleged that former security personnel were encouraged to sign nondisclosure agreements and affidavits denying earlier allegations.
The accusations have not been independently verified.
Torre has not publicly addressed the latest claims.
The witnesses also mentioned PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, former Justice secretary Leila de Lima and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in separate allegations involving an alleged meeting held before the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Throughout the briefing, witnesses repeatedly claimed that records exist that could corroborate their accounts.
Several alleged former aides said deliveries were documented through photographs, CCTV footage, logbooks and messaging applications.
According to the witnesses, proof-of-delivery photographs were routinely transmitted to supervisors after assignments, while security personnel allegedly maintained logs detailing the movement of vehicles and luggage.
The witnesses claimed these materials remain available and could eventually be submitted to investigators.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed receiving such evidence.
The latest allegations emerged as government investigators continue scrutinizing both the claims and the individuals making them.
The controversy first gained national attention when a group of men identifying themselves as former Marines and former members of Co's security detail alleged that they had been tasked with transporting suitcases of cash to politicians and influential personalities.
The allegations quickly generated headlines because they suggested that commissions from flood-control projects—among the largest recurring expenditures in the national budget—were being distributed to powerful figures.
However, investigators soon identified weaknesses in some of the group's claims.
The Ombudsman subsequently required individual affidavits from witnesses, saying investigators needed to determine what each witness personally knew rather than rely on a collective statement.
The NBI, meanwhile, disclosed that investigators found inconsistencies in several claims and determined that not all members of the group publicly described as former Marines were actually members of the Marine Corps.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag also told senators earlier this month that portions of the group's testimony appeared to be based on secondhand information rather than direct personal knowledge.
Those findings have fueled skepticism among critics who argue that the allegations should not be treated as established fact absent corroborating evidence.
Despite those concerns, the controversy continues to attract national attention because of what is at stake.
Flood-control projects have historically received hundreds of billions of pesos in government funding and have long been a source of complaints involving delays, cost overruns and alleged corruption.
The whistleblowers contend that the alleged cash deliveries formed part of a broader kickback system tied to those projects.
Co has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and rejected allegations linking him to any corruption scheme.
No court has found Co or any of the personalities named by the witnesses liable for any offense.
Yet with each new press conference, the list of personalities drawn into the controversy continues to grow.
Tuesday's presentation was perhaps the clearest indication yet that the allegations are no longer confined to a dispute involving a few politicians. By naming top government officials, election administrators, police generals and media personalities, the witnesses effectively expanded the controversy into a scandal that now touches some of the country's most influential institutions.
Whether those allegations withstand scrutiny will depend not on the testimonies alone but on whether investigators can uncover the documentary evidence, financial records and electronic communications that the witnesses insist exist.
Until then, the accusations remain allegations—serious and politically consequential, but unproven.
