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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara praises confession of supposed cash deliveries to ICC probers

VP Sara praises confession of supposed cash deliveries to ICC probers

Published Feb 26, 2026 05:04 pm
Pork Barrel Fund Scam whistleblower Atty. Levi Baligod on Tuesday, Feb. 24, presents the 18 men who were said to be former workmates of Orly Guteza during his time as Zaldy Co's security personnel. The men were said to have allegedly delivered suitcases filled with money to the houses of several high-ranking government officials, including Co, the President, and former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. (Photo from Mike Defensor)
Pork Barrel Fund Scam whistleblower Atty. Levi Baligod on Tuesday, Feb. 24, presents the 18 men who were said to be former workmates of Orly Guteza during his time as Zaldy Co's security personnel. The men were said to have allegedly delivered suitcases filled with money to the houses of several high-ranking government officials, including Co, the President, and former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. (Photo from Mike Defensor)
​Vice President Sara Duterte said Thursday, Feb. 26, that the supposed confession of individuals claiming to be former Marines that they delivered millions to investigators of the International Criminal Court (ICC) only proved the presence of a foreign court in the country and its intrusion into Philippine sovereignty.
Duterte praised what she found as the courage of the 18 individuals, who also claimed to be security personnel of former congressman Zaldy Co, after supposedly revealing that they delivered P805 billion to politicians as well as ICC probers during their visit in the country—a claim already refuted by those alleged.
The Vice President said that exposing information that she claimed she had known for a long time put those individuals' lives at risk, and it was a courageous thing for them to do.
"Hindi pangkaraniwan ang kanilang ginawa dahil posibleng buhay nila ang kapalit sa paglabas ng katotohanan (What they did was out of the ordinary because their lives might be at risk)," she said.
Duterte said there had already been rumors about the presence of ICC investigators in the country, prompting her to seek the position of the Marcos administration for the record.
And their response, according to her, was: "We will not cooperate in any way, shape, or form."
For Duterte, it was "an explicit recognition that ICC's actions are an affront to Philippine sovereignty."
The Vice President said that the testimonies of those individuals only strengthened her earlier warning to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and Senator Bato Dela Rosa regarding the presence of the ICC inside the country.
She said such information must not be set aside and neglected.
"Ang usaping ito ay hindi usaping pampulitika. Hindi ito simpleng alitan ng mga personalidad (This isn't about politics. It’s not just a petty fight between individuals)," she said.
"Ito ay tungkol sa pangunahing prinsipyo ng ating pambansang soberanya at sa limitasyon ng panghihimasok ng mga dayuhang institusyon sa domestic affairs ng ating bansa (It is about the core principle of our national sovereignty and the constraints on foreign institutional intervention in the domestic affairs of our nation)," she added.
Duterte stressed that sovereignty "is not a principle to be invoked when convenient and abandoned when expedient" and it "should not depend on who benefits and should not shift with political winds."
"When we weaken the principle of sovereignty, we do not only affect one leader or one family. We affect the dignity of our country and the trust of our people in the institutions meant to protect them," she added.

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