Atty. Levito Baligod said he plans to bring additional witnesses before the Office of the Ombudsman to aid its investigation into widespread corruption in government.

“There are new witnesses that we will include in the build-up of cases. Until they submit their affidavits, I cannot share with the public who these additional witnesses are,” Baligod told reporters.

Baligod, who previously served as legal counsel for Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) whistleblower Benhur Luy, was the lawyer who introduced to the public the 18 alleged former bodyguards of former party-list representative Zaldy Co, who have been dubbed the “Brave 18.”

The individuals claimed they performed various tasks for Co, including delivering cash-filled luggage to several lawmakers. The money was allegedly sourced from kickbacks from infrastructure projects.

Among the public officials identified by the group were President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. The group also alleged that the officials were involved in a scheme related to the bribery of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The bagmen’s testimonies have since been used by the Ombudsman in building its “grand case” against Romualdez, whom the investigative body has identified as one of the alleged masterminds of the multibillion-peso corruption scandal.

However, in a recent development, four of the 18 individuals recanted their public statements, saying they made the allegations after being promised financial rewards.

Despite the setback, Baligod expressed confidence that the witnesses and their testimonies could still help the Ombudsman hold accountable government officials who allegedly misused public funds.

“We can hope that we can build strong cases against the individuals that abused public funds. And if we hold them accountable, we can hope that we will have a brighter future as a country,” he said.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has said that the case against Romualdez has already been submitted for preliminary investigation, with the former House Speaker ordered to respond to the allegations.

Romualdez is accused of committing acts that may constitute plunder, direct and indirect bribery, graft, and money laundering in connection with an alleged P56-billion infrastructure kickback scheme spanning 2022 to 2025.

Romualdez and his camp have repeatedly denied the allegations, maintaining that the Ombudsman’s investigation is prejudiced against him.