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Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star
March 1, 2026 | 12:00am
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla
MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has cast doubts on the joint affidavit executed by 18 former soldiers who claimed to have delivered millions of pesos in cash to government officials, dismissing the allegations as “canard” and politically motivated.
Remulla said it was “impossible” for all 18 former soldiers — reportedly affiliated with the Marines and allegedly hired by fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co — to narrate the same story in a single sworn statement.
“It is hard to believe that all 18 of them knew everything written in that affidavit. It’s impossible that the 18 of them were always together – that they were present in all those activities and knew everything being claimed there. That’s something else,” he said in Filipino over the “Executive Session” program on dzRH yesterday.
The joint affidavit was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman last week by lawyer Levi Baligod.
Remulla said he suspected the former soldiers were “trying to create a tipping point.”
“This is political. They want a coup d’état to happen — that’s where this is headed,” he said.
He also disputed claims that most of the signatories were former Marines and urged them to testify in a Senate investigation.
Despite his strong remarks, Remulla acknowledged that he has not read the affidavit in their entirety, saying he would rather “let the people evaluate it, not me.”
He also denied allegations in the sworn statement that, as former justice secretary, he met with investigators of the International Criminal Court at his residence in Bel-Air.
“My name was mentioned there because they claimed we had a meeting in Bel-Air. What was that – were there 18 soldiers as witnesses? It never happened,” he said.
Baligod earlier accused Remulla of meeting ICC investigators, allegedly causing “undue damage” to the government after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute that created the tribunal.
The affidavit further alleged that President Marcos, former House speaker Martin Romualdez and other lawmakers and executive officials received a total of P805 million in cash, supposedly delivered in suitcases and paper bags during meetings with ICC investigators.
The Department of Justice said it may be deputized by the Ombudsman to assist in any investigation stemming from the allegations.
Justice department spokesman Polo Martinez said the department may also direct the National Bureau of Investigation to gather evidence should a formal complaint be filed.
Meanwhile, a religious leader who signed as witness to the affidavit clarified that he did not vouch for the truthfulness of the claims made by the former soldiers.
In a Facebook post shared on Saturday, Efraim Tendero, former secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance, said that as a witness, he merely attested to the signing process.
“I only confirm the signing process was legitimate. The responsibility for the veracity of the document’s content lies with those who gave their sworn statements,” Tendero said.
Two days before leaving Manila for a series of conferences in the United States, Tendero said he was asked to witness the signing of a sworn statement by 18 men claiming to be enlisted personnel of the Philippine military, before a notary public.
The former soldiers surfaced at a press conference in San Juan on Tuesday, facilitated by Baligod, where they alleged that they delivered suitcases of cash to more than 30 government officials. — Bella Cariaso
