Matibag: 18 ‘maleta boys’ also asked to undergo lie detector test

MANILA, Philippines — The 18 “maleta boys” who implicated various government officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in an alleged “cash delivery” scheme were also asked to undergo lie detector tests when they appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in March as part of the investigation into their joint affidavit, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said.

This came after Matibag said former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. is scheduled to undergo a lie detector test before the bureau on Wednesday or Thursday in connection with the affidavit.

Gracioso claims that he delivered suitcases containing large sums of cash to Vice President Sara Duterte, President Rodrigo Duterte, and Congressman Paolo Duterte in tranches starting in 2018, supposedly upon the instructions of his former boss, former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

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“In fact, inalok naman namin sa kanila yan. Tinanong namin eh,” Matibag told reporters when asked why the 18 “maleta boys” did not undergo a lie detector test when they were being investigated by the NBI.

(In fact, we offered it to them. We asked them.)

“But hindi tayo dumating sa punto na yung 18 Marines ay nagpa-lie detector test,” he added.

(But we did not come to the point where the 18 Marines took a lie detector test.)

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According to Matibag, a person must be willing to undergo a lie detector test.

“There should be willingness to the party. Siya [Gracioso] voluntarily sinubmit niya yung sarili niya sa lie detector test,” he explained.

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(There should be willingness to the party. He [Gracioso] voluntarily submitted himself to the lie detector test.)

The Inquirer reached out to the legal counsel of 18 “maleta boys,” Atty. Levito Baligod, regarding Matibag’s remark, but he has yet to respond as of this writing.

It was in February that Baligod introduced the 18 individuals as former Marines who claimed they had served as “bagmen” for resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and delivered P805 billion in alleged kickbacks to various politicians and personalities from anomalous flood control projects.

READ: 18 ‘ex-Marines’ return to NBI to prove ‘bagmen’ claims

Baligod alleged that President Marcos masterminded the scheme and claimed the funds were distributed to several other personalities, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

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The “maleta boys” appeared before the NBI twice in March for the bureau’s investigation into their testimonies. /jpv