Mamamayang Liberal Party‑list Rep. Leila de Lima firmly denied recent allegations claiming she received a suitcase of money, calling the accusations “preposterous” and a fabricated attempt to distract from serious political issues.

In a strongly worded statement, De Lima dismissed the claims as a “clear demolition job” and “concoction of lies,” saying she had absolutely no involvement in receiving cash from any such delivery. She highlighted the timing of the allegations—coinciding with the confirmation of charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte and the ongoing impeachment proceedings involving Vice President Sara Duterte—and called the accusations a cheap political tactic to divert attention from these high‑profile cases.

“These cheap and laughable moves are squid tactics to distract us from the real issue: the reckoning of the Dutertes,” De Lima said, asserting that even those behind the claims could not execute the operation "properly" and instead relied on dubious personalities to spearhead the narrative.

The accusations surfaced during a press conference where lawyer Levi Baligod and 18 former Marines alleged that cash‑filled suitcases were delivered to various officials, a claim also similarly denied by other figures such as former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, who called his own allegation counterparts “blatant lies” and pledged to pursue legal action.

De Lima’s statement comes at a politically charged moment, as government accountability cases involving the Duterte family’s leadership are underway, and she maintained that the focus should remain on truth and justice—not on unverified claims aimed at deflecting attention from substantive legal processes.