Twelve of the men who claimed to be former marines and resigned Congressman Elizaldy Co’s security escorts and bagmen did not sign their written statements to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regarding their exposé.

Speaking to DZRH News, NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said that only six of the 18 self-proclaimed former soldiers signed their written statements after undergoing a one-on-one interview.

While written statements were obtained from all 18 men, their lawyer, Atty. Levito Baligod, wished to first review their accounts, Matibag said, as reported by RH 15 Jecelle Ricafort.

The director added that Baligod had even wished to withdraw and rip apart the six signed accounts, despite the six men having voluntarily provided their testimonies. They were then made to read these recorded statements before they affixed their signatures.

Baligod asserted that the NBI had asked the rest of the former soldiers additional questions, hence they were unable to sign their statements. The NBI investigators were not “content” with the accounts given, the lawyer claimed, and so they were summoned again to the bureau office.

The NBI is set to submit a report to the Office of the Ombudsman, which will contain the assertions made and transcripts of the interviews.

These ex-marines earlier accused numerous government officials of accepting suitcases of hard cash totalling ₱800 billion as kickbacks related to the flood control scandal, of which Co is a key figure.