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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pangilinan vows to file cases vs 18 'Maleta boys' after linking him, family to flood control scam

Pangilinan vows to file cases vs 18 'Maleta boys' after linking him, family to flood control scam

Published Jun 16, 2026 07:43 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said he will hold the group of former soldiers, who were also bagmen of former congressman Zaldy Co accountable for slander before the courts.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Tuesday, June 16 vowed to hold the former bodyguards of ex-congressman Zaldy Co accountable for linking him and members of his family to the flood control scam.
Senator Francis
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan (Facebook)
This, after the 18 ex-bagmen of Co accused the senator during a press conference led by former lawmaker Mike Defensor that they delivered a suitcase of cash to him.
The ex-bagmen also even showed photos of Pangilinan’s family and luggage containing cash as proof of their claim.
“Puro pasaring. Puro alegasyon. Puro palabas. Gusto lang mantsahan ang naiulat na pag-upo ko bilang chairperson ng Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee na mag-iimbestiga sa flood-control scam (All insinuations. All allegations. All show. They just want to stain my reported appointment as chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee that will investigate the flood-control scam)," Pangilinan said.
Wala ni katiting na basehan ang mga tangkang pagdungis sa aking pagkatao ng mga nagpa-presscon tungkol sa mga maletang kaugnay sa bilyon-bilyong pisong ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan (The attempts to sully my character have no basis whatsoever by those who held press conferences about the suitcases related to billions of pesos stolen from the public treasury)," he pointed out.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee under Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian’s bloc, had earlier said he will inhibit from hearing the blue ribbon committee hearing since he too was also being implicated in the case.
Tulfo earlier announced he will assign Pangilinan to be the head of the subcommittee that will continue the investigation into the flood control scandal.
Pangilinan said he will hold the group of former soldiers accountable for slander before the courts.
“At dahil dinamay niyo pa ang pamilya ko, makakatikim kayo ng hindi pasaring, alegasyon, o palabas na kaso sa korte (And because you, through your open forum about the suitcases allegedly linked to billions of pesos stolen from the public treasury, have implicated my family, you will now face something that is neither an insinuation, an allegation, nor a spectacle — in court),” Pangilinan said.
“Pananagutan ninyo ang paninirang ginagawa niyo (You will be held accountable for the slander you have committed),” the senator stressed.

Related Tags

KIKO PANGILINAN Maleta Boys 18 Maleta Boys Flood control scandal
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