Bagman claims P20M offered to recant allegations

An alleged former bagman of ex-congressman Zaldy Co testified before the Sandiganbayan that witnesses had been offered between P15 million and P20 million to withdraw their allegations against public officials.

Rodante Orbillo made the disclosure during the ongoing plunder bail hearing of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez before the anti-graft court's Third Division.

Orbillo said he learned about the alleged offers through text messages from former colleagues, including individuals who had already recanted their statements and were encouraging others to do the same.

Associate Justice Ronald Moreno questioned Orbillo about whether he had personally received an offer, prompting the witness to discuss amounts allegedly offered to other bagmen.

Orbillo claimed he had heard that Benny Boluntate, one of the alleged bagmen who later recanted, received P8 million.

He said he confronted Boluntate about the alleged payment at a court in Las Piñas, joking that his former colleague had become wealthy.

According to Orbillo, Boluntate told him he had been shortchanged but did not disclose how much money he actually received.

Orbillo also testified that before the alleged bagmen publicly disclosed the suitcase deliveries, a certain “Col. Dominguez” had offered them P3 million to remain silent.

The amount was allegedly later reduced to P1 million.

‘For the country’

Asked by Associate Justice Karl Miranda why he refused the alleged offers, Orbillo said he wanted to expose the truth behind the suitcase deliveries.

“I received nothing, we came out to testify on the deliveries for the country,” Orbillo said.

“Our goal here is to reveal the truth of what happened to the suitcases, your Honor.”

He maintained that disclosing what allegedly transpired during his employment under Co was a responsibility he owed to the public.

Orbillo also cited his personal experience with the justice system as one of his motivations for testifying.

He claimed he had been falsely accused of frustrated murder in his province, which subsequently affected his attempt to return to military service.

According to Orbillo, his application for reinstatement in the Philippine Navy was denied because of the charges, despite having served nine years.

His testimony forms part of the ongoing hearings on Romualdez's petition for bail in his plunder case.