18 Marines now in hiding due to security threats —UPI

The 18 alleged former members of the Philippine Marine Corps who claimed to have delivered cash to personalities and public officials are now in hiding amid threats to their security, the United People’s Initiative (UPI) said Friday.

“Dahil sa security threat kailangan nilang hindi maging visible lagi. ‘Yung word na ‘nagtatago’, yes nagtatago silo dahlil may threat,” UPI Secretary General retired Captain Rey Valeros Jr. said in Mark Makalalad’s dzbb Super Radyo report.

(They need to refrain from being visible all the time because of the security threats.  So are they hiding? Yes, because of the threats to their security.)

Valeros said all 18 of them received security threats.

However, he did not specify details and said the supposed former Marine Corps has “ways to detect if there are threats against them." 

“May ways sila para ma-detect ang mga threat. Kahit ako naga-advise ako sa kanila pag may nakikita akong unusual movements or nagmo-monitor sa Manila,” Valeros said.

(They have their ways to detect the threat. Even me, I advise them if I see unusual movements or monitoring against them.)

“Normal yan dahil pino-protektahan natin ang 18 Marines natin,” he added. 

(This is normal because we want to protect the ex-Marines.)

To recall, lawyer Levito Baligod and the 18 ex-Marines accused several individuals of allegedly receiving cash from former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.

The government officials and individuals mentioned have denied the allegations against them, with the Philippine Navy saying that four of the 18 were never members of the Navy nor the Philippine Marine Corps.

The National Bureau of Investigation is investigating their credibility and claims.

Meanwhile, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier filed a perjury complaint against the supposed 18 former Marines over allegations of a scheme involving International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators. —Sundy Locus/ VAL, GMA Integrated News