Who scripted 'maleta' claims? Lacson wants answers after bagmen's reversals
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ping Lacson urged authorities to investigate who may be behind the four former bodyguards of Zaldy Co, saying their conflicting accounts and later recantations have further muddied allegations of cash deliveries linked to the flood control scandal.
Four men who claimed to be part of Co's former security detail had told GMA News that allegations they previously made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House speaker Martin Romualdez and other politicians were false.
In a statement Friday, August 7, Lacson said authorities should determine whether anyone orchestrated the reversals and hold those responsible accountable.
"Dapat ding tugisin at papanagutin sa batas ang mga nasa likod ng gulo at confusion na nilikha nila. I hope the authorities will track and make them answerable as well," Lacson said.
("Those behind the chaos and confusion they created should also be pursued and held accountable under the law. I hope the authorities will track them down and make them answerable as well.")
Lacson also questioned whether the four were among the witnesses who had given individual sworn statements to the Office of the Ombudsman.
"Sa dami kasi ng flip-flopping statements nila sa iba't-ibang fora at venues, hindi na natin alam kung ano na ang totoo at hindi sa mga sinasabi nila at kung sino-sino sa kanila ang nagsasabi ng totoo at hindi," Lacson said.
("With their numerous flip-flopping statements in different forums and venues, we no longer know which of their claims are true and which are not, or who among them is telling the truth.")
Four withdraw earlier claims
The four men told GMA News that their earlier claims of delivering cash-filled suitcases to politicians were untrue.
They alleged that they had been promised two years of financial assistance in exchange for giving false testimony and claimed they did not personally prepare the affidavits containing the allegations.
Among those earlier implicated was Sen. Erwin Tulfo, whom some of the former bodyguards had accused of receiving two suitcases containing cash.
Tulfo has repeatedly denied the allegations and filed defamation complaints against several of the men and their lawyer, Levi Baligod.
Following the recantations, Tulfo said he had expected some of the witnesses to eventually withdraw their statements.
"Siguro po, nakonsensya din ho siguro... kasi kung talagang totoo 'yung sinasabi nila, hindi siguro ganun kadaming demanda ang aabutin nila," Tulfo said.
("Perhaps they felt guilty... because if what they were saying were really true, perhaps they would not be facing so many complaints.")
Romualdez tagged
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, meanwhile, accused Romualdez's camp of being behind the recantations, although he did not publicly present evidence for the claim.
"The camp of the accused... The camp of former Speaker Romualdez, his lawyers, his strategists, his advisers, 'yung mga tumutulong sa kanya," Remulla said Friday when asked who he believed was behind the reversals.
Romualdez denied the accusation and accused the Ombudsman of prejudging him.
"The Ombudsman's accusations that I am behind the recantations of the former Marines is absolutely not true. This shows how extremely prejudiced he is against me," Romualdez said.
The conflicting statements come as the Ombudsman conducts a preliminary investigation into complaints against Romualdez, Co and other respondents over alleged flood control corruption.
The Ombudsman has ordered Romualdez and his co-respondents to submit counter-affidavits. The proceedings remain at the preliminary investigation stage and no finding of criminal liability has been made.
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