Lawyer Levito D. Baligod said additional witnesses are being prepared to strengthen the flood-control corruption cases involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former congressman Zaldy Co, as the investigation moves forward amid a widening dispute over four former bodyguards who withdrew their earlier testimony.
Eighteen former bodyguards had come forward with accounts of delivering suitcases containing kickback money to government officials, including Romualdez. Four of them, Belnard Tube, Rosebert Waupan, Benny Bulontate and Cecilio Larroder, later recanted, leaving 14 who have not withdrawn their statements.
Baligod said the continuing case buildup will draw from information and witnesses beyond those 14.
“Ang pinanggagalingan ng pagpapalakas sa kaso na yan ay hindi lamang galing sa 14 na ito kundi may mga panibagong witnesses tayong isasama para sa build-up of cases.”
He said the identities of the additional witnesses cannot yet be disclosed publicly. Baligod had already announced plans in June to present more prospective witnesses in connection with the flood-control investigation, before the four reversals occurred.
The recantations have since triggered a separate battle over what happened to the witnesses before they changed their accounts. The four told reporters that their earlier accusations were false and claimed they had been promised two years of financial assistance in exchange for giving false testimony. They also said they did not personally prepare the affidavits containing the accusations.
Baligod rejected accusations that the witnesses were forced or threatened into executing their affidavits or promised large amounts of money for their testimony. He said the four had informed him before publicly recanting that they intended to change their position.
A competing bribery claim then emerged from George Villalon, one of the former bodyguards who continued to stand by his statements. Villalon claimed members of the group had been offered between ₱20 million and ₱25 million to withdraw their testimony. No court has established that such payments were made.
Baligod has since escalated that claim. On August 17, he said he possesses screenshots and recorded conversations that he intends to present in support of allegations that money was offered to induce recantations. He said the offers reached as high as ₱25 million but did not publicly identify who allegedly financed them.
Questions have also emerged over the witnesses’ safety. Baligod said on August 14 that the former bodyguards had been subjected to what he described as “focused operations,” including psychological, financial and other forms of pressure. He separately claimed that Bulontate appeared pale and sleep-deprived during a video call and that his movements appeared restricted at an undisclosed location. Baligod said he believed other recanting witnesses were also being held against their will, although that allegation has not been independently established.
Remulla said the Ombudsman would continue relying on the witnesses’ original affidavits and leave questions over their credibility to the courts. Three of the four who later recanted had submitted affidavits used in the case against Romualdez, according to Baligod.
The Ombudsman is conducting a preliminary investigation into complaints involving Romualdez, Co and other respondents over the flood-control corruption scandal. Romualdez has repeatedly denied receiving kickbacks or cash-filled suitcases and has also denied involvement in the witnesses’ recantations. No final finding of criminal liability has been made.
Baligod’s latest disclosure places the focus on the next batch of witnesses he says will be introduced as the cases continue to develop. Their identities and the evidence they are expected to provide remain undisclosed.
PGMN has attempted to remain courageous and defiant in the face of the over 80 counts/lawsuits Romualdez has filed, fully aware that the whole thing is the former Speaker’s desperate attempt to silence the organization as he currently finds himself in the most vulnerable position of his life. Since declaring war against him two months ago, PGMN has published over 1,300 posts about Romualdez—clearly and honestly exposing him precisely for what he is: the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
The barrage has since generated approximately 160 million views across all platforms and is now the most viral anti-corruption campaign against a single person in the history of Philippine social media.
