One of the four ex‑Marines who recanted their testimony against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez admitted to counsel Atty. Levito D. Baligod that he felt “tempted” by offers to withdraw his testimony—and eventually gave in, Baligod said.
Speaking to reporters, Baligod revealed that many of the ex‑Marines have been bombarded with multimillion‑peso offers to abandon their testimony. One of them, invoking his children, confessed to him about wrestling with the temptation—before ultimately caving in.
“Sorry sir sa nararanasan kong temptasyon ngayon sir,” Baligod read from the message of the Marine who recanted.
PGMN sources close to the Ombudsman said the four of the eight ex‑Marines whose testimony is central to the flood‑control probe intend to lie, claiming they were pressured by investigators to testify against Romualdez.
The recanters allege they were forced to sign pre‑written affidavits and threatened with multiple cases if they refused.
But Ombudsman insiders dismissed the claims outright, telling PGMN the investigators are “kind young women” and blasting the accusations as “ridiculous.”
The pattern echoes what ex‑congressman Mike Defensor — an ally of all 18 Marines — told PGMN before his jailing: Romualdez’s camp had already dangled ₱5 million per Marine to withdraw their statements. Now, George Villalon Jr., one of the eight former Marines whose testimony was used by the Ombudsman in its flood‑control corruption probe, revealed on Friday that his fellow Marines are being offered ₱20 million to ₱25 million each to switch sides — a staggering jump from the earlier offers.
Now, as the Ombudsman probe deepens—bolstered by President Bongbong Marcos’s State of the Nation Address announcing the Ombudsman was close to filing cases against Romualdez—it appears Romualdez’s camp has escalated its offers as well.
The Ombudsman has branded Romualdez the “master plunderer.” The Sandiganbayan has called him the “purported mastermind” of billions in stolen wealth. The Assistant Ombudsman has named him the “central figure” in the flood‑control scandal.
Corruption has always been the Philippines’ greatest plague—and Romualdez stands as the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
