Ombudsman seeks individual affidavits from 18 ex-Marines in cash deliveries tale

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said he wanted to secure individual affidavits from each of the 18 former soldiers who have alleged in a single sworn statement that they delivered suitcases of cash to some officials on instructions of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.

According to Saleema Refran’s exclusive report on “24 Oras," Remulla said each of the former Marines must issue his affidavit because the allegations were serious.

“I want to get the individual affidavit of each of them. The allegations are serious," Remulla told GMA Integrated News. 

"Para alam natin kung ano ang personal knowledge ng bawat isang tao, para malinaw kung ano talaga ’yon. Kasi parang pinagtagpi-tagpi na kuwento ng bawat isa ay ginawang isang affidavit. Hindi dapat ganu'n,” he added.

(We need to know each one's personal knowledge so that it is clear what really happened. Because it seems like their stories were combined and then included in a single affidavit. It shouldn’t be like that.)

The Ombudsman will set a date for the former Marines to submit their affidavit.

Remulla earlier said he wants the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the former Marine’s statements, which was contained in a joint affidavit submitted by lawyer Levi Baligod to the Ombudsman.

But for Senator Panfilo Lacson, it would be difficult to investigate the said statement since it is unbelievable.  

Lacson continues to fact-check the former Marines' claims.

Remulla confirmed that he met with the International Criminal Court (ICC) representatives and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to discuss the protection of Filipino witnesses in the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

He said he was still the secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) when the meeting happened less than a year ago.

“Since we’re in the DOJ, kinakailangan gawin namin ‘yun. Mga Pilipino kasi mga testigong ‘to,” he added.

(We needed to provide that protection because these witnesses are Filipinos.)

Remulla said the DOJ’s action in helping out the witnesses in the ICC case is legally and morally above board.

“Bakit hindi? Ang nakasalalay dito buhay ng mga testigo. Kailangan protektahan natin ang tao hangga’t kaya natin,” he said.

(I say, why not? What is at stake here is the life of the witnesses. We need to protect human life to the best of our ability.)

In an interview with Jessica Soho, as reported on “24 Oras,” Trillanes admitted that he coordinated with the ICC investigators, but said it does not mean that there was bribery involved.

“Sinasabi ko since 2017, nakikipag-ugnayan ako sa kanila, nakikipagtulungan ako sa kanila. Pagkalap ng testigo at ebidensya,” Trillanes said.

(I said I had been coordinating and helping them gather testimonies and pieces of evidence since 2017.)

“Definitely, it’s a spin kasi kailangan niyang ipalabas na sinuhulan para magamit ni [Nicholas] Kaufman na sasabihin na corrupt yung mga ICC investigators. Probably to request a mistrial,” he added.

(Definitely it's a spin because they want to make it appear there was bribery so that [Nicholas] Kaufman can use it to say that the ICC investigators are corrupt. Probably to request a mistrial.)

In a separate interview with Soho, the ex-Marines showed their House of Representatives' congressional staff ID with Co’s alleged signature as proof that they worked for the former lawmaker. –Mariel Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News