Non-profit group: Allegations of ex-Marines vs. priest are 'grave injustice'

A non-profit organization on Thursday denied allegations made by alleged ex-members of the Philippine Marines in the Senate’s flood control probe that the group’s founder, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva received money from ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co.

“We categorically deny these allegations. They are false,” the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation said in a statement.

“These allegations are not merely false. They are malicious, defamatory, and a grave injustice against a priest who has devoted his life to serving the poor, accompanying EJK victims and their families, and defending the dignity of those whose voices are often unheard,” it added.

One of the 18 alleged ex-Marines told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he allegedly delivered money to Villanueva in person at a church along Mindanao Avenue.

“Si Father Flavie ay hinatiran ko ng pera doon sa Mindanao Ave. Isang sobre ‘yun, sir,” the witness claimed. “... Sa mismong simbahan niya, sir, sa gilid ng kalsada.”

(I delivered money to Father Flavie on Mindanao Avenue. It was inside an envelope… It was at his parish, on the side of the road.)

He added that he also delivered a cash-filled suitcase to Villanueva at an address he referred to as “33 Clemente.”

“Isang maleta… Binuhat ko papunta sa sasakyan niya,” the former Marines member alleged.

(It was a suitcase… Which I carried to his car.)

According to the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation founded by Villanueva, the alleged transactions “never occurred.”

“The allegation involving a supposed delivery near a church on Mindanao Avenue collapses on its own facts. No specific church was identified, and no SVD parish, church, or ministry center exists along Mindanao Avenue, Quezon that matches the witness’ description,” it said.

Villanueva is a priest of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

“The allegation involving the supposed delivery of a suitcase as ‘33 Clemente’ is unsupported by any evidence and is nothing more than a fabricated accusation,” the organization added.

The non-profit group said it has already initiated legal action against the claims.

“We intend to hold accountable those who have chosen to bear false witness. We will not allow decades of faithful ministry to be tarnished by fabricated stories and reckless accusations,” it added.

The group said Villanueva – one of the recipients of the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award – has “long endured attacks because he chose to stand beside victims of violence and to give voice to those who could not speak for themselves.”

Earlier, Villanueva – together with ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima – denied the claims of the 18 alleged ex-Marines that he and De Lima received money from Co, a prominent figure in the flood control mess.

They filed a cyberlibel complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and a perjury complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ) last March.

The alleged former Marines also alleged that lawmakers such as Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo, and several congressmen, allegedly received suitcases of cash.

They all denied the allegations as baseless and false. — JMA, GMA News