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MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Corrections Director Gregorio Catapang Jr. has filed cyberlibel and perjury complaints against the 18 "ex-Marines" and their lawyer Levi Baligod.
Catapang filed the complaint at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, March 9, making him the fifth personality mentioned in the affidavit of the former soldiers to push back against the allegations against them.
"Hindi po talaga pwedeng palampasin, kasi kung sa akin lang…kaya kong palampasin eh. Pero 'yung implication na pag pinalampas ko 'to na hindi ako nag-file ng kaso o complaint eh parang in-admit ko na na nagnakaw ako sa gobyerno o nagbigay ako ng walong maleta," Catapang said in an ambush interview.
(I really cannot let this pass, because if it were just about me... I could let it go. But the implication if I let this slide without filing a case or a complaint is that it's as if I've admitted to stealing from the government or delivering eight suitcases of cash.)
According to the affidavit of the 18 former Marines, Catapang allegedly delivered eight medium and large-sized suitcases to fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co.
The bureau chief has since denied these allegations.
"Hindi tututo kasi unang-una, wala naman akong gano'n kalaking pera. Pangalawa, wala namang perang ganon kalaki rin ang bucor para nakawin ko. Kasi kung may mga pera naman ng BuCor, eh ginamit naman po sa construction," Catapang said.
(It isn't true because, first of all, I don't even have that kind of money. Second, BuCor doesn't have that much money for me to steal in the first place. If there were any BuCor funds, they were all used for construction projects.)
"At saka wala naman po kaming DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) projects. Wala po kaming ghost projects," he added.
(Moreover, we do not have any DPWH projects. We do not have any ghost projects.)
Catapang — who previously served as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2014 to 2015 — filed the perjury complaint against his former soldiers.
Meanwhile, the cyberlibel complaint was filed against Baligod and the former soldiers.
A disbarment complaint was also filed by Catapang against Baligod before the Supreme Court.
According to Catapang, Baligod violated Canon II, Section 28 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which prohibits lawyers from posting or sharing "false or unverified statements," and "disinformation."
Fifth complaint. This has been the fifth complaint filed before the justice department concerning the allegations of the former soldiers.
The third and fourth complaints were filed earlier today by Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal) and priest and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Flaviano Villanueva. The cyberlibel complaint was filed at the National Bureau of Investigation, while the perjury complaint was filed at the DOJ.
On March 4, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año filed complaints for unlawful publication and unlawful utterances against former lawmaker Mike Defensor, Baligod and the former soldiers.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV also filed cyberlibel complaints against Baligod and Defensor on March 5 over similar claims.
Allegations of corruption. The 18 men surfaced at a February 24 press conference, claiming through their lawyer Baligod that they served as bagmen for fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co. They claim to have ferried suitcases of cash — skimmed from anomalous flood control projects — to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and other officials. Their affidavit, submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on February 28, put a total figure of P805 billion on the alleged kickbacks. Malacañang shrugged off the claims as a "lousy script."
The Philippine Navy has also cast doubt on the credibility of the 18, saying in a previous statement that four of the 18 individuals were never members of the Navy or the Marines. Without giving numbers, the Navy said the "majority" were discharged dishonorably, while the rest retired in good standing.
