The Office of the Ombudsman Philippines is considering whether the four former Marines who served as Zaldy Co’s security escorts in transporting cash to corruption conspirators should be named as respondents in the plunder complaint against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, after they recanted accounts that could be relevant to their own liability.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the four could be treated as respondents if they no longer cooperate as witnesses.
“If they will not become our witness, then they are merely respondents in a crime where they delivered billions of pesos to the respondents in this case,” Clavano said.
The recantations have also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding them. Atty. Levito D. Baligod, lawyer for the 14 men who continue to stand by their accounts, revealed that the witnesses faced psychological and financial pressure, threats and surveillance.
Baligod cited Rodante Orbillo, one of those who did not recant, claiming that a man who identified himself as an NBI agent conducted surveillance around Orbillo’s home. He also said recanter Benny Bulontate contacted another witness and appeared pale and with swollen eyes. Baligod further alleged that money was offered in exchange for the recantations and said he would submit screenshots and an audio recording to the Ombudsman.
Clavano said the panel had yet to officially receive the recantations, although copies were attached to Romualdez’s counter-affidavit filed Aug. 7. He described the statements as broad and general compared with the witnesses’ earlier affidavits.
The developments add another layer to the ₱56-billion plunder complaint against Romualdez, Co and others over ill-gotten wealth accumulated from 2022 to 2025. Romualdez has denied wrongdoing.
The Ombudsman is now assessing whether the four men’s original accounts could expose them to liability while also examining the circumstances behind their recantations.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla earlier said he believes it was the camp of Romualdez that pulled the strings behind the sudden recantation of four ex-Marines in the flood-control probe.
At a press conference, Remulla declared Romualdez’s camp was reeking of desperation, stressing that it was the ex-Speaker – whom his office has branded the “master plunderer” – who orchestrated the move
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.
