Sandro Marcos dismisses 'cash luggage' claims as 'BS'

House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos on Wednesday brushed aside allegations that he was among the recipients of cash-filled luggage supposedly delivered by the alleged bagmen of former congressman Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co, saying he would rather focus on pending legislative measures.

“We don’t dignify the testimonies of those ‘fake Marines’ or actually bodyguards na lang. You say yesterday that Senator Chiz Escudero was suddenly implicated as a recipient because he joined the majority. For all we know, Mary Grace Piattos would be the next person mentioned in the upcoming hearings,” Marcos told reporters.

“Let’s call a spade a spade, it’s all BS,” he added.

Marcos and his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., were among several public officials alleged to have received "maletas" containing cash supposedly linked to the multibillion-peso flood control scheme.

Unlike other personalities who have threatened legal action, the younger Marcos said he has no plans to file cases against the accusers, saying doing so would only give them additional publicity.

The latest press conference by the alleged former aides expanded the list of personalities implicated, including broadcasters Ramon Tulfo and Arnold Clavio, Commission on Elections Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, former Philippine National Police chief Nicolas Torre III, and religious leader Fr. Flavie Villanueva.

All of those named have publicly denied the allegations.

'No such thing as zero MOOE'

Marcos also dismissed claims that the representative of General Santos City received no Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allocation.

“Ma’am, that seems to be mere stories only. There’s no such thing as zero MOOE. There’s no such thing as zero budget either. Ma’am, that’s impossible. Where did you get that?” he said when asked about the issue.

He stressed that claims involving the national budget should first be verified, adding that it is impossible for a locality to be excluded from receiving funding.

“Who would be so stupid to do that?” Marcos said.

The issue stemmed from claims made by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, who on Monday filed a petition urging Congress to realign P14 billion in MOOE funds for disaster relief efforts.

Leviste also alleged that General Santos City did not receive an operational budget and that some lawmakers were given what he described as "bonuses" for voting in favor of certain legislative measures.