Walter Manalansan, one of the 18 former Marines who came forward in the flood-control corruption investigation, blasted four of his colleagues who recanted their statements against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, accusing them of abandoning their principles and selling out for cash.
“Nakakalungkot, bakit bumigay kayo. Hindi lang prinsipyo ninyo ang binenta ninyo, pati mga mamamayan natin na naniniwala at sumusuporta sa Brave 18. Nasilaw kayo sa pera na binigay nila. Wala kayong paninindigan,” Manalansan said in a Facebook post.
He said their decision betrayed the Filipinos who had supported and believed in the group after they came forward with allegations involving massive cash deliveries linked to the flood-control scandal.
The four Marines, after recanting, suddenly alleged that Ombudsman investigators pressured them into giving statements against Romualdez. Ombudsman Boying Remulla rejected those claims outright, stressing his office had recordings to prove otherwise.
Remulla has also expressed his belief that Romualdez is behind efforts to convince witnesses to recant, describing the former Speaker’s camp as desperate and willing to exhaust every available tactic as the cases against him move forward.
Lawyer Levito D. Baligod, counsel for the former Marines, earlier showed reporters a text message he identified as coming from one of the four witnesses expected to recant. According to Baligod, the Marine apologized for what he was going through and admitted to the “temptation” he faced. Baligod linked the message to alleged offers being made to the witnesses and disclosed he had additional screenshots of similar approaches.
Former Marine George Villalon Jr., who continues to stand by his testimony, also revealed that witnesses are now being offered ₱20 million to ₱25 million each to switch sides and withdraw their statements — a staggering escalation from the ₱5‑million bribes earlier exposed by ex‑congressman Mike Defensor before his jailing.
The reported recantations come at a decisive stage of the investigation, just as the Ombudsman intensifies its probe into billions of pesos in flood‑control funds. President Bongbong Marcos underscored this in his fifth State of the Nation Address, announcing the Ombudsman was nearing the filing of cases against Romualdez.
Romualdez has repeatedly been identified by officials and court records in connection with the scandal. The Ombudsman has branded him the “master plunderer,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano has described him as the “central figure,” and the Sandiganbayan has referred to him as the “purported mastermind” of the scheme.
Corruption has always been the Philippines’ greatest plague — and Romualdez is universally recognized as the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
