During a press conference on Friday, March 13, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla revealed that an intelligence report indicates that one of the photos included in the joint affidavit of 18 self-proclaimed former Marines was taken during the term of former House Speaker Lord Velasco, not during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Remulla said the finding suggests a “manipulation of facts” intended to make it appear that alleged cash deliveries, or the so-called “maleta delivery” scheme, occurred during the current administration.

“I just received an intelligence report, and it seems very reliable,” Remulla said.

“One picture that was put in the affidavit was actually taken during the time of Speaker Lord Velasco. It is not an entirely accurate depiction. What you see here is really a manipulation of facts to make it appear that it happened during the Marcos administration, but actually, they were playing with timelines," he added.

According to the Ombudsman, the practice of delivering cash, commonly referred to as the “maleta-delivery” scheme, had been occurring long before Marcos Jr. assumed office in 2022.

Remulla added that some individuals involved in assembling the affidavit, including former lawmaker Mike Defensor, have already been confronted about the discrepancies.

“It’s important that each person who signed the affidavit based their statements on personal knowledge, not merely what they read in group chats,” he said, emphasizing the need for the affidavits to reflect actual events rather than assumptions.

The Ombudsman said the office is continuing to examine each affidavit carefully to determine the accuracy of the claims and the identities of those directly involved in the alleged deliveries.