House lawmakers, ex-solons deny ex-Marines' payoff claims as blatant lies

Current and former members of the House of Representatives on Thursday denied allegations that they received money in suitcases as claimed by 18 supposed former members of the Philippine Marines, saying these are attempts to derail the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and other efforts to hold the Duterte family accountable.

In a joint statement, former party-list lawmakers France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan said they “vehemently denounce the malicious and baseless claim of the so-called ‘18 Marines’ as a desperate act of political demolition.”

“Ang pag-atakeng ito sa mga mambabatas at aktibistang bahagi ng impeachment ay isang sistematikong pagtatangka na gibain ang kredibilidad ng sinumang nangangahas na panagutin ang pamilyang Duterte (This attack on lawmakers and activists who are part of the impeachment is a systematic attempt to destroy the credibility of anyone who attempts to hold the Duterte family accountable),” they said.

“Let it be known that Makabayan cannot be involved in the flood control scam because we have no infrastructure projects nominated by our offices. Wala kaming projects, allocables or infrastructure insertions sa pangalan namin. Wala kaming matatanggap na anumang kickback dahil wala naman kaming proyekto (We do not have projects, allocables, or infrastructure insertions in our name. We cannot receive any kickback because we don’t have any projects),” they added.

The ex-Makabayan solons were referring to the allegations of the 18 ex-Marines that they delivered suitcases containing money to several personalities, including Castro, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima of ML Party-list, etc.

For her part, de Lima said she already responded to the “blatant lies” and filed libel/cyberlibel complaints before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and a perjury complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Whether in suitcase or paper bag, I never received any money,” she said.

“It is no surprise that the tales are getting twisted because these are just a figment of their imagination, if not repeated lies told before a bogus Senate hearing,” de Lima added.

Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a House Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, also denied the ex-Marines’ allegations.

“I categorically deny all their accusations against me. Wala akong tinanggap na maleta, pera, o anumang bagay mula kaninuman, at wala rin akong pinulot kahit saan (I did not receive any suitcase, money, or anything from anyone, nor did I pick up anything anywhere),” Adiong said.

“Naniniwala ako na ang mga paratang na ito ay sadyang ginawa upang maging distraction mula sa aming mahalagang konstitusyonal na tungkulin: ang papalapit na impeachment trial laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte. Hindi tayo nagpapasindak. Hindi ako natatakot sa mga sinungaling,” he added.

(I believe that these allegations are made to serve as a distraction from our important constitutional duty: the upcoming impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte. We will not be intimidated. I will not be cowed by liars.)

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon echoed Adiong, saying "kahit anong panahon, wala pong dineliver sa aking maleta."

(At no time has anyone delivered any case to me.)

Ridon's fellow prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua described the Marines' accounts as an effort to discredit the prosecutors for the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.

"Initially, they said I was given suitcase of money in the House. Now, they are saying I got it from a townhouse. Their lies are very clear," Chua added.

Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose “Pepito” Alvarez said he suspects that he was tagged in the alleged distribution of money because he refused to endorse an impeachment complaint against Marcos.

“Wala akong tinanggap na pera, wala silang dinala sa akin na maleta. I can say categorically wala po akong tinanggap na maleta galing kay Zaldy Co, dahil wala namang utang si Zaldy Co sa akin, wala rin akong utang sa kanya (I did not accept any money, no suitcase was delivered to me. I can categorically say I did not accept any suitcase from Zaldy Co, because Zaldy Co does not owe me anything, and vice versa),” Alvarez said.

Makabayan bloc lawmakers Sarah Elago of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Renee Co of Kabataan also dismissed the allegations as mere falsehoods.

“Muli, mariin naming pinabubulaanan ang anumang pagtatangkang iugnay ang Makabayan sa flood control scandal. Walang flood control projects, infrastructure allocations, o project insertions ang Makabayan, kaya wala ring anumang kickback na maaaring matanggap,” they said in a statement.

(We firmly deny any attempt to link the Makabayan bloc to the flood control scandal. The Makabayan has no flood control projects, no infrastructure allocations, no project insertions, so we cannot receive any kickback.)

“The Senate should get its house in order. Ang mga pasilidad at pondo ng bayan ay hindi dapat ginagamit para sa mga bogus na hearing, bogus na testigo, at bogus na ebidensya (The facilities and funds of the nation should not be used for bogus hearing, bogus witnesses, and bogus evidence),” they added. — JMA/BM, GMA News