Eighteen supposed former Marines named several lawmakers and senators as alleged recipients of cash-filled suitcases during the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's inquiry into the flood control scandal.
Among those identified were Senators Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo, as well as ML Partylist Representative Leila de Lima and Majority Leader Rep. Sandro Marcos
During the Senate hearing led by the Cayetano bloc, two of the former Marines alleged that they personally delivered cash to Sotto and Tulfo. One witness claimed he delivered five suitcases containing between ₱40 million and ₱70 million to Sotto in 2024, before the start of the campaign period.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano cited the testimony during the proceedings.
“Mabigat sa atin ito, dahil pinaniwalaan natin yung Blue Ribbon Committee na pinamunuan ni Sen. Lacson, but everyone knows mag-partner talaga ‘yan, si Sen. Tito Sotto at Sen. Lacson,” Cayetano said during the hearing.
The Senate investigation into the allegations continued on June 4.
The 18 former Marines also named the following individuals as alleged recipients of cash deliveries:
- Rep. Terry Ridon
- Rep. Gerville Luistro
- Rep. Benny Abante
- Rep. Zia Adiong
- Rep. Jose Alvarez
- Rep. Joel Chua
- Rep. Janette Garin
- Former Rep. France Castro
- Former Rep. Arlene Brosas
- Former Rep. Ace Barbers
- Former Rep. Dan Fernandez
- Former Rep. Raoul Manuel
- Former Rep. Stella Quimbo
- Fr. Flavie Villanueva
Meanwhile, one of the witnesses, Rosebert Waupan, acknowledged that there may have been an error in including De Lima's name on the list of officials allegedly linked to kickbacks.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta questioned Waupan about why De Lima was included, noting that she was not yet a member of the House of Representatives during the period being discussed.
In response, Waupan admitted that he may have confused De Lima’s position at the time and conceded that her inclusion on the list could have been a mistake.
De Lima has previously denied the allegations against her.
The allegations raised during the Senate hearing remain unverified, and no documentary evidence has yet been publicly presented to substantiate the claims. Officials named during the proceedings have either denied the accusations or have yet to issue statements as of posting time.
The Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry is ongoing.
