Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed a cyberlibel complaint before the Department of Justice on June 25, 2026, naming Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Rodante Marcoleta along with 18 men who described themselves as former Marines, over statements aired during a June 4 Senate hearing.
The 18 respondents are former staff and bodyguards of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who have accused several public figures of receiving cash deliveries. The complaint stems from the men’s appearance before a flood control probe convened by the Cayetano-led bloc, during which they claimed Trillanes received and handled cash intended for International Criminal Court personnel. According to the Daily Tribune, the 25-page complaint-affidavit accuses the respondents of violating Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 in relation to the libel provisions of the Revised Penal Code, with Trillanes seeking one count of cyberlibel against each respondent.
The Tribune reported that respondent Bernard Gumban alleged he delivered cash to Trillanes on two occasions — first in a paper bag estimated at ₱5 million to ₱10 million, and later in six suitcases — at the former senator’s Quezon City office, while another respondent, Belnard Tube, claimed involvement in dollar-exchange transactions tied to the alleged deliveries. Trillanes also cited remarks by Cayetano suggesting the use of suitcases implied bribery, and statements by Marcoleta that he said insinuated Trillanes had betrayed the country by assisting ICC investigators.
Trillanes rejected the accusations outright. “I categorically deny na tumanggap ako ng pera mula kay Zaldy Co para ibigay sa ICC or for any other purpose,” he said in a statement cited in the complaint.
He further argued that the June 4 proceeding was not a legitimate Senate hearing because it followed the Senate leadership reorganization of June 3, in which Sherwin Gatchalian became acting Senate president and Erwin Tulfo took over the Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship. “At most, it can be considered an ordinary or regular press conference, dressed in the guise of a public hearing,” the complaint stated.
The Tribune noted the complaint also pointed to inconsistencies in the respondents’ accounts of where the alleged deliveries occurred, and cited a statement from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor that its investigations are funded through the tribunal’s own budget and conducted independently. The filing adds to a series of complaints Trillanes has lodged against the same group since their first allegations surfaced earlier in 2026, part of a wider wave of libel and perjury suits brought by officials and personalities implicated in the men’s testimony.
