Ombudsman: 1 photo in ex-Marines' affidavit showed delivery during Velasco's time

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said that one of the photos cited in the affidavit of the 18 personalities who introduced themselves as former Marines showed a delivery of money to a lawmaker during the time of then Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. 

Remulla said he received the information from a reliable source in the House of Representatives, saying this makes the accounts of the 18 men manipulative. 

“You know, I just received an intelligence report. And it seems to be very reliable. There was a delivery in the affidavit of the 18 Marines…[which] pointed to a delivery to one of the congress persons, one of the congressmen or congresswomen. But when we investigated that angle, it appears that this delivery was done during the time of Speaker Lord Velasco,“ he said in a press conference. 

“That picture that was put in the affidavit was done during the time of Speaker Velasco. So, it's not an entirely accurate depiction of pictures. What you see here is really a manipulation of facts to make it appear that that was that, but actually they were playing with timelines. This is one timeline that they played with, that this happened before the term of President Marcos,” Remulla added. 

Velasco served as the Speaker of the House from October 2020 to June 30, 2022 during the 18th Congress.

The President during this period was Rodrigo Duterte, who is now detained at International Criminal Court (ICC) facility in The Hague, Netherlands pending crimes against humanity charges against him over systematic drug war deaths.

GMA News Online reached out to Velasco for comment and will publish it once available.

Remulla, however, said that he is not questioning the veracity of all the photos cited in the joint affidavit of the 18 men.

“At least one picture that was used in the affidavit would show us that it was done during the time of Lord Velasco as Speaker of the House. I'm not talking about the other [photos], but there was one picture there that was put in the affidavit that was actually taken before we assumed office,” he said.

“Maleta na dineliver sa isang tao. Ang report sa amin pera ‘yung laman,” he added.

(It was money in a suitcase delivered to a person.)

Remulla earlier called on the 18 men to submit individual affidavits to prove that what they are alleging is of their personal knowledge. 

The 18 men have alleged that public officials received bribe money from ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co to build up a case against former President Duterte before the ICC.

The public officials have denied the allegations and dismissed them as falsehoods.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, citing info from a source, says one of the photos showing delivery of money to a lawmaker cited in the affidavit of 18 Marines was taken during Speaker Lord Velasco of Marinduque’s time from Oct 2020 to June 2022 @gmanews pic.twitter.com/ySMRwzQPQM

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) March 13, 2026

—AOL, GMA Integrated News