A call for a Senate inquiry has been lodged following claims that large sums of money were transported to senior government officials, lawmakers, and even individuals linked to an international tribunal.
Sen. Imee Marcos filed a resolution seeking an investigation into statements made by a group of men presented as former members of the Philippine Marine Corps. The group alleged they had acted as couriers for massive cash transfers reaching P805 billion.
During a press briefing, 18 men said they had delivered funds to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. Co, who has been tagged as a fugitive, has been linked to controversy involving flood control project funds.
The same group claimed that money was also handed over to former Sen. Antonio Trillanes V and to personnel connected to the International Criminal Court, which is conducting confirmation of charges proceedings in the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague.
The Philippine Navy has not issued a formal position on the substance of the accusations. However, Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Arlene Martinez said Wednesday that most of the individuals who surfaced at the press conference had been removed from service under dishonorable conditions. She also stated that four of those identified as former Marines were never part of the corps.
Trillanes, who has publicly opposed Duterte, rejected the allegation involving him. He said he did not “received $2M or any amount from Zaldy Co for the ICC investigation or any other purpose.” He described the accusation as an attempt to undermine the case related to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
He added that he intends to pursue cyberlibel cases against lawyer Levi Baligod, former congressman Mike Defensor, social media personality Jay Sonza, as well as the 18 men involved, “and all those who are maliciously circulating this blatant lie.”
Marcos, who distanced herself from her brother in 2025 and later aligned with members of the Duterte family, formally initiated the Senate process to examine the allegations raised in the press conference.
