1 hour ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
MANILA, Philippines — The 18 alleged former bodyguards of fugitive congressman Zaldy Co arrived at the Senate yesterday, but skipped the Blue Ribbon committee’s “consultative meeting” led by Sen. Erwin Tulfo on the multibillion-peso flood control scam, declaring that they did not recognize his panel’s authority.
Accompanied by their legal counsel, Levito Baligod, the 18 men were personally fetched at the ground floor of the Senate building by Sen. Robinhood Padilla at 9:45 a.m. just as Tulfo and fellow senators were delivering their opening statements at the Blue Ribbon meeting.
“Our reason is very clear, because the invitation is defective,” Baligod told reporters, explaining the 18 former bodyguards’ snub of Tulfo’s invitation. “Our attendance here today is not to legitimize anybody or any office,” he said.
Instead of proceeding to Tulfo’s hearing, the group held a separate press conference at Padilla’s office––two floors above the plenary hall. During their press conference, Baligod declared that apart from the 18, another set of 14 former employees of Co would be testifying before what he called a Blue Ribbon committee hearing to be presided over by Sen. Alan Cayetano.
In the middle of the meeting, Tulfo directed the secretariat to summon the group down, stating, “Ito ang tamang venue, hindi sa media conference (This is the proper venue, not a media conference).”
However, the meeting was suspended early at 11:41 a.m. – supposedly out of respect for the victims of the earthquake in Mindanao – before the witnesses could descend.
In a separate interview, Baligod said the Cayetano-led Blue Ribbon “hearing” would be held this Thursday, although it has yet to be confirmed. He claimed that new testimonies would be “explosive.”
Two of the initial 18 men, meanwhile, have withdrawn their previous claims that Sen. Loren Legarda had received kickbacks from the multibillion-peso flood control anomaly.
Sen. Mark Villar, also implicated in the 18’s testimonies, however was not cleared by Baligod nor by his clients.
At the same press conference, Baligod admitted his clients never saw cash-filled suitcases delivered to Legarda, nor did they personally see the lawmaker.
Tulfo, meanwhile, made good his promise to sue three of the 18 who accused him of receiving cash himself. His brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo first told One News’s “Storycon” that the neophyte senator filed grave oral defamation charges against Bernard Gumban, Robert Waupan and Benny Bulontante before the Pasay prosecutor’s office.
“We filed charges of grave oral defamation in relation to cybercrime [law] against Gumban, Waupan and Bulontante for the things they’ve said about the suitcases, sexual trafficking and all the lies that they need to answer in court,” Erwin told reporters.
“I have ignored these claims before because they are all untrue, but on June 4, [the lies] got more and more, with few suitcases now becoming eight and there’s already accusations of human trafficking. It’s all become a joke,” he added.
Sen. Raffy also questioned the credibility of the 18 men, as he balked at their being called “Marines” and heroes.
“The first time they’re called ‘marines,’ there was already deception,” Tulfo said. “They wanted to be called ‘marines’ to attract adulation, respect. But they were not all former marines. In fact of half of them had been discharged without honors or dishonorably discharged from service for various offenses,” he said.
“I would like to remind my colleagues here in the Senate to please be very careful in calling out some people as bayani. Putting them on a pedestal,” he added.
Tulfo further questioned the credibility of their testimony, including their claims against Fr. Flavie Villanueva, whom they accused of receiving money delivered near a church on Mindanao Ave.
Ultimately, Tulfo said it appears some of the information from the “18 kargadors” are being fed to them, as they demonstrated difficulty telling their stories on their own.
“The presiding officers of that conference were coaching and leading their ‘resourceful’ persons,” he said.
At Malacañang, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Marcos dismissed as lies the claims of the 18 former Co bagmen that they delivered cash-filled suitcases to his residence in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. — Helen Flores
