Ilonggo lawmakers deny bribery claims from alleged ex-Marines

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Three incumbent and one former member of the House of Representatives from Iloilo have denied allegations that they received a luggage load of cash, as questions mount over the credibility of the claims — including an unsigned affidavit, unverified military backgrounds and unclear timelines.

The Philippine Navy said on Wednesday that four of the 18 men who identified themselves as former Marine Corps members were never part of the service, while the affidavit they presented bore no signatures. The press conference held Tuesday in San Juan City also drew no coverage from major media outlets.

Reps. Julienne Baronda (Iloilo City), Janette Loreto-Garin (Iloilo 1st District), and James Ang Jr. (Uswag Ilonggo Party-list), as well as former Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Party-list), were among 26 House members allegedly implicated.

Garin took note of the lack of media coverage and the absence of signatures in the affidavit in calling the allegations “fake news.”

“Fake news again. Clearly fabricated and baseless. Who delivered? Where and when? Obviously they could not answer it because it’s fake information and a diversion. [A] diversion from the real issues right now. No wonder the [press conference] was not attended and carried by reputable outlets. The affidavit was even unsigned,” Garin told Daily Guardian via Viber.

Ang, who had already been embroiled in the flood control probe, refused to issue a public statement but told Daily Guardian via phone call, “My conscience is clear. I have not received anything. I haven’t even been able to hold just the handle of the maleta.”

Baronda released a statement on Wednesday, saying that she would not “engage in falsehoods” and “will instead pray for truth and fairness to prevail.”

She implied that her inclusion was due to her current ties to former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, though unnamed, who has been a vocal critic of the Duterte administration since his exile in Canada, and even after returning to the country in 2024.

“For clarity, my name was never mentioned in the inquiries conducted by the House, the Senate, or by the [Independent Commission on Infrastructure],” Baronda said.

“The only reason I can think of for my name being dragged into this latest political circus is my association with a local personality who was someone critical of the previous administration and who is helping me navigate local politics,” she added.

Manuel, who served as a representative from 2022 to 2025, was quick to refute the allegations on Tuesday evening through his personal Facebook account.

He linked the men with the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court’s facility in The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of crimes against humanity.

“Gets na namin na si Marcos Jr ang hari ng kurapsyon sa bansa ngayon. Si Sara Duterte naman ang reyna. Pero bakit puro kalaban ng mga Duterte ang target ng affidavit nitong ex-Marines? Mga traydor sa bayan!” Manuel said in his post.

(We get that [President Ferdinand] Marcos Jr. is the king of corruption in this country right now. [Vice President] Sara Duterte is then the queen. But why is it Duterte enemies being targeted by these ex-Marines? Traitors to the country!)

“Dati pa pinapakalat ng Duterte camp sa social media ang imbentong kwento na tumanggap ako ng kikbak, habang sila itong nagtatago ng bank records. Kung tumanggap nga ako ng kikbak, saan ko ginamit? Alam ng mga taong nakakakilala sa akin na hindi ako nabubuhay nang marangya. Sasabihin ba nila na binigay ko ang mga kikbak sa NPA, na sinasabi rin nilang paubos na? The thinking is not giving!” he added.

(The Duterte camp has previously spread invented stories on social media that I was receiving kickbacks. If I was receiving kickbacks, where would I use them? People who know me know that I don’t live a lavish life. Will they say that I am giving kickbacks to the [New People’s Army], that they are saying is also dwindling? The thinking is not giving!)

According to the unsigned affidavit published by SunStar Davao on Tuesday, the 18 men alleged that they were ex-workers of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.

Sixteen of them held a press conference on Tuesday in San Juan City, accompanied by their lawyer, Levito Baligod.

According to them, they escorted Co’s staff in making deliveries of cash to government officials, lawmakers and members of the ICC’s investigating team looking into the charges against Duterte.

While the timelines in the affidavit were unclear, Baligod alleged in the press conference that they were making deliveries three to four times a week from September 2022 to mid-2025, usually at Forbes Park in Makati City or at Aguado Street within the Malacañang Palace complex.

In the affidavit, however, they averred that all four Ilonggo representatives picked up their respective luggage at a townhouse in Forbes Park, with Garin and Manuel also receiving at the House complex.

The ICC confirmed charges against Duterte in connection with his administration’s controversial war on drugs, which rights groups estimate killed thousands of Filipinos between 2016 and 2022. Duterte has denied the allegations and his supporters have described the ICC proceedings as politically motivated.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro also pushed back against the accusations, calling them repeated lies against President Marcos Jr., with a “lousy script” and “not award-winning.”

“They are not clean. You would know that there are lies. So who is behind this? Maybe you should know who owned the car that fetched them after their press conference. Those are just repeated lies,” Castro said in a press briefing on Wednesday.