Lawyer of remaining ‘maleta boys’ readying affidavit vs recanters

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of the remaining so-called “maleta boys” on Friday said he will prepare an affidavit debunking the statement of those from the group who later recanted their statement before prosecutors following claims of being under duress while doing so.

Lawyer Levito Baligod, who went to the Office of the Ombudsman along with most of the remaining 14 “bodyguards”, made the update.

“I was invited so we could talk about how we could strengthen the case being considered by the Office of the Ombudsman,” Baligod told reporters in Filipino during an ambush interview on Friday evening. “And second, they wanted to know what the circumstances were with the recantation of the four.”

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The then 18 “bodyguards”, who identified themselves as former bodyguards of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, claimed that they have delivered suitcases of cash to Co, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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However, the four men later recanted their allegations in previous sworn statements against Romualdez, Co and Marcos Jr., according to a GMA News report.

Ombudsman investigators accused Romualdez and Co of alleged “concerted and coordinated acts” in “unlawfully amassing, accumulating, and acquiring ill-gotten wealth” amounting to approximately P56 billion from 2022 to 2025, some of which were purportedly delivered by the bodyguards through suitcases.

READ: Probe of Romualdez, Co tags firms, ‘maleta’ use

In their complaint-affidavits, investigators cited the testimony of three of the four bodyguards who later recanted their statements.

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These three bodyguards claimed that, when they appeared before the Ombudsman, they were allegedly pressured to sign affidavits that had already been prepared and were supposedly warned of facing multiple charges should they refuse.

“I will be preparing, together with the Ombudsman lawyers, an affidavit from those who were able to observe the proceedings during the question-and-answer exercise between the witnesses and the Ombudsman lawyers,” Baligod said.

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Baligod said the other members of the maleta boys will belie the claims of the recanters that they were threatened by Ombudsman lawyers.

Despite disputing their claims, Baligod said the four “maleta boys” have long been threatened and have been the subject of psychological and financial “focused operations.”

In February, Baligod submitted a single joint affidavit of 18 bodyguards to the Office of the Ombudsman.

At that time, Remulla said each of the 18 should submit their respective separate affidavits, saying that a joint narration of facts on such matters casts doubt on their credibility.

READ: Ombudsman wants ‘unique perspective’ of each of 18 ‘ex-Marines’

Of the 18, the Ombudsman obtained the separate affidavits from only eight of them.

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Three of the four personalities who recanted are among those eight, since the other one did not submit a separate affidavit. /cb