Malacañang on Wednesday rejected allegations tying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to a supposed multibillion-peso kickback operation, branding the accusation as fabricated and politically motivated.
The controversy erupted after lawyer Levito Baligod publicly introduced 18 men wearing black shirts, whom he described as former Marines tasked with delivering travel bags of cash to the residences of lawmakers. He claimed the group acted as couriers in distributing P805 billion in alleged payoffs connected to irregular flood control projects. Baligod further alleged that the operation involved 26 legislators and that the funds originated from former Ako Bicol Rep. and House appropriations committee chair Elizaldy Co, with President Marcos supposedly at the center of the scheme.
Malacañang press officer Claire Castro dismissed the charge outright.
“It’s a lousy script, not worthy of winning an award. It’s not polished. You can already tell there’s falsehood in it,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
She urged journalists to scrutinize the individuals advancing what she described as recurring false narratives against the President. According to Castro, the same personalities had previously been linked to attempts to destabilize the administration. When asked about potential legal steps, she said the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice could pursue action against those behind the claims.
“[The PNP, NBI and DOJ] should already know this. It is their obligation,’’ she said.
Questions about the identities of the supposed couriers prompted a review within the military. Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez said official records were examined after videos of the press conference circulated online. She disclosed that four of the men presented were never affiliated with the Navy or the Marine Corps, while most of the others had been dishonorably discharged.
Martinez emphasized that accusations aired in public must pass through established legal channels.
“The Philippine Navy respects and adheres to constitutional processes, including judicial and legislative inquiries,” she said. “The Navy does not and will never prevent any individual from testifying the truth.”
Separately, the Armed Forces of the Philippines cautioned against using media platforms to advance unverified assertions. It stressed that allegations of this magnitude should be assessed by competent authorities.
In a joint statement, former ACT Teachers party list Rep. France Castro, former Gabriela party list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and former Kabataan party list Rep. Raoul Manuel questioned the timing of their inclusion in the alleged list of recipients. They argued that the claims surfaced as former President Rodrigo Duterte faces proceedings before the International Criminal Court and as fresh impeachment complaints loom against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“The timing… is highly suspicious and reveals its true purpose: to discredit the legitimate investigations against the Dutertes by making it appear that these are politically motivated and funded by their political opponents,” they said.
“This is a classic Duterte playbook—when cornered by evidence of their crimes and corruption, they manufacture lies and attack their accusers,” they added.
They noted that many of the lawmakers named had participated in congressional inquiries into extrajudicial killings and other rights-related issues tied to the previous administration, as well as in earlier impeachment proceedings involving the Vice President.
“Why release this now, precisely when Duterte faces ICC proceedings and Sara Duterte faces [another] impeachment?” they asked, dismissing the allegations as mere “gossip.”
