Leila de Lima dismissed allegations that she received cash in suitcases, calling the claims a demolition job timed to coincide with mounting legal pressure on the Duterte family.
More lawmakers have questioned the timing of an affidavit alleging that 26 lawmakers received money in suitcases. De Lima, Mamamayang Liberal party list representative, said she was among those named by 18 supposed Marine officers.
“How preposterous! The accusations that suitcases with cash were sent to me or that I received them are so funny. Clear demolition job. Concoction of lies. I absolutely and firmly deny any such ridiculous claim,” de Lima said.
She linked the allegations to the confirmation of charges proceedings at the International Criminal Court against former President Rody Duterte and the upcoming impeachment discussions involving Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Look at the timing. It’s the confirmation of charges of Duterte, and most likely, his case will go to trial. It’s Sara’s impeachment proceedings, and most likely her case will also go to trial,” she said.
“Father and daughter who are facing accountability measures,” she added.
De Lima said the accusations were “squid tactics” meant to divert public attention from accountability issues tied to the Dutertes.
“These cheap and laughable moves are squid tactics to distract us from the real issue the reckoning of the Dutertes. They can’t even do it properly,” she said.
She also criticized the personalities linked to the claims.
“They can only get dubious discredited personalities like Jay Sonza, Mike Defensor and Levito D. Baligod to spearhead their amateurish yet seemingly well funded operation,” she added.
De Lima was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame until November 2023 over drug related charges filed during Duterte’s administration. She was acquitted in all three cases, with the last dismissed in June 2024.
Other lawmakers named in the affidavit include former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, former Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, Bienvenido Abante Jr., Ace Barbers, Dan Fernandez, and Joseph Stephen Paduano. The House quad committee previously investigated Duterte’s drug war and alleged links to offshore gaming revenues.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V, also named, described the allegations as the work of “delusional” individuals.
“It’s really hard to argue with people who live in their own world. That’s what you call ‘delulu’, delusional people, so we do not give much attention to such things because they are not true. So that’s it. Let us not be delulu,” he said.
The affidavit has also been flagged over questions on its signatories, with Adiong citing earlier statements that four of the 18 officers were never members of the Philippine Navy, while the majority were dishonorably discharged.
De Lima maintained that the allegations would not derail efforts to pursue accountability.
