Questions over the identities of men introduced as former Marines took center stage after the Philippine Navy reviewed its records and found discrepancies in their claimed service.
The verification came a day after a press conference organized by lawyer Levito “Levi” Baligod, where 18 individuals were presented as ex-members of the Philippine Marine Corps. During the event, the group alleged they had acted as couriers delivering P805 billion to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.
Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez said an internal check was conducted after footage of the briefing circulated online.
“Based on official records, four were never members of the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Marine Corps,” Martinez said in a statement.
She explained that most of the remaining names had previously been removed from service under dishonorable circumstances, while a few had completed their careers without administrative issues.
Martinez also noted that two of the individuals whose names could not be located in Navy or Marine rosters were described in draft affidavits as former Army personnel, suggesting that their claimed affiliations should be validated with the Philippine Army instead. Another person cited during the briefing, Orly Guteza, had already retired in June 2020 and is no longer under Navy jurisdiction.
During Tuesday’s event, the men said they had worked as security staff for Co and claimed they transported large sums of cash to certain government figures, although no specific officials were publicly identified. They further alleged that they were instructed to convert $2 million said to be intended for International Criminal Court investigators, and that the amount was eventually handed to former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
Trillanes rejected the accusation and announced plans to pursue cyberlibel cases against those spreading the claims.
The Navy did not comment on the truthfulness of the allegations themselves but underscored that assertions made in public settings must be examined through established legal channels.
“The Philippine Navy respects and adheres to constitutional processes, including judicial and legislative inquiries,” Martinez said. “The Navy does not and will never prevent any individual from testifying the truth.”
She also called on the public to scrutinize information circulating online and confirm its accuracy to avoid the spread of misinformation.
Separately, the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued its own statement, saying the accusations aired at the press conference remain unproven and should be assessed through “proper legal and investigative processes before competent authorities.”
“We caution against grandstanding and the manipulative use of legitimate media to spread unverified claims that may contribute to disinformation,” the AFP said.
