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Daphne Galvez - The Philippine Star
June 18, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The claims of the 18 self-styled bagmen are “all BS” and are not worth time or attention, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos said yesterday.
“We don’t dignify the testimonies of those fake Marines. Actually, we now only refer to them as bodyguards,” the son of President Marcos said in a chance interview.
The 18 men recently named the House majority leader as one of the recipients of suitcases (maletas) stuffed with cash, a claim Sandro Marcos described as bogus.
He noted that just after Sen. Francis Escudero joined the majority, the senator was suddenly included in the list of people who allegedly received suitcases of cash from the 18.
“It’s all BS,” Marcos said.
Asked if he is considering filing charges against them, Marcos said he believes it will only be a waste of time.
Meanwhile, the inconsistencies in the statements of the 18 are questionable in court, according to University of the Philippines College of Law associate dean Paolo Emmanuel Tamase.
In an interview with dzBB, Tamase reacted to the 18’s inclusion of new personalities in their testimonies on Tuesday on the flood control scandal.
“It is questionable in court. That kind of shifting testimony seems to depend on the wind as to what they will say and that is dangerous, because the reach of this ongoing flood control hearing is vast and susceptible to the people simply believing whatever they hear, even if the truth is not proven. At the very least, there should be active questioning of the witnesses who come forward, and the testimonies,” Tamase said.
The public should look for consistency and individual affidavits from the bagmen, he said. – Bella Cariaso
