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February 26, 2026 | 3:48pm
MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of the 18 former Marines who allegedly delivered money to top government officials submitted the soldiers’ affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Levi Baligod, the lawyer representing the former soldiers, arrived at the Ombudsman on Thursday, February 28, for the affidavit to be referred for investigation.
“Ni-refer namin sa Office of the Ombudsman para magkaroon lamang ng prima facie proof na merong offense na na-commit at ang mga napangalanan doon ay guilty sa mga offenses na ito,” Baligod said in an interview with reporters.
(We referred it to the Office of the Ombudsman simply to establish prima facie proof that an offense had been committed and that those named therein are guilty of these offenses.)
According to Baligod, the affidavit contained allegations against several lawmakers and government officials of receiving money.
Included in the list, he said, was Rep. Leila De Lima. However, he later retracted this statement, admitting that the inclusion of De Lima in the list was a mistake.
He also mentioned that the soldiers’ affidavit claimed that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the former Justice secretary, met with International Criminal Court (ICC) officials privately.
“Siya ang alter ego ng presidente, at ang official statement ng Malacañang is that the government of the Republic of the Philippines will never cooperate with the ICC, and yet you have a high-ranking official of the government, no less than the secretary of the Department of Justice, cooperating with the ICC,” he said.
(He is the President’s alter ego, and the official statement from Malacañang is that the government of the Philippines will never cooperate with the ICC—yet here you have a high-ranking government official, no less than the secretary of the Department of Justice, cooperating with the ICC.)
On February 24, Baligod claimed that ICC investigators, while probing detained former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, allegedly accepted money from individuals, compromising the integrity of the investigation.
However, the claim remains unverified and the Palace dismissed it as “lousy scriptwriting.”
"Paulit-ulit na kasinungalingan laban sa pangulo. Lousy script, hindi pang-award-winning. Hindi malinis. Alam mo na may kasinungalingan," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on February 25.
(Repeated lies against the President. Lousy script, not award-winning. It’s not clean. You can tell there are lies.)
Meanwhile, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), in a statement, did not comment on the allegations made by Baligod.
It further noted that all its operations are funded and managed through the court’s official budget under strict oversight mechanisms.
“The Office independently collects the information relevant to its investigations, identifies the individuals from whom it collects witness statements, and assesses the credibility, reliability, and relevance of all sources of information it requests and receives, examining incriminating and exonerating evidence equally. The disclosure of information in cases before the Court is strictly regulated by the ICC legal framework and under the control of the independent ICC Judges,” the OTP’s statement read, according to a report by GMA News.
“As a matter of policy, the Office does not comment on operational matters with respect to ongoing investigations and prosecutions. This is essential to protect the integrity of the investigations and operations, to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts, as well as its staff. The sources of evidence, including names of staff, witnesses, and institutions/organizations the Office interacts with during its investigations, are subject to confidentiality,” it added.
