A retired Philippine Military Academy graduate from the Class of 1975 is under scrutiny after the National Bureau of Investigation identified him as the person behind the recruitment of all 103 individuals listed as alleged security aides of former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed Wednesday that the retired general has been identified, though he stopped short of naming him publicly. “There is a retired general who recruited them, and we have already identified the retired general who recruited all 103 of them,” Matibag said in Filipino.
Of the 103 recruits, 38 agreed to take on the security aide role — among them 18 individuals described as former Marines. The agency is now weighing whether to compel the retired officer’s cooperation through a subpoena to advance its probe.
The investigation traces back to a February 24 press conference where lawyer Levito Baligod presented the 18 men as former Marines who alleged they had personally handled P805 billion in kickbacks tied to anomalous flood control projects, with Co named as a recipient. Baligod further alleged that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. orchestrated the scheme, implicating former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other figures as well.
The Palace has pushed back sharply. Presidential Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed the claims as a “lousy script” and “not award-worthy,” characterizing the allegations as a coordinated smear campaign targeting the president.
Baligod is among 25 individuals — including the 18 alleged former Marines and former congressman Mike Defensor — who received NBI subpoenas last week. They are scheduled to appear before the bureau on Thursday.
