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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lawyer, 18 marines say PBBM ordered 'luggage deliveries', confirm Guteza's claims

Lawyer, 18 marines say PBBM ordered 'luggage deliveries', confirm Guteza's claims

Published Feb 24, 2026 04:31 pm

At A Glance

  • Lawyer Levi Baligod has accused President Marcos of masterminding the delivery of P805 billion worth of alleged kickbacks to politicians from anomalous flood control projects.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores/ MANILA BULLETIN)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Mark Balmores/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Lawyer Levi Baligod has accused President Marcos of masterminding the delivery of P805 billion worth of alleged kickbacks to politicians from anomalous flood control projects.
Baligod made the claim Tuesday, Feb. 24 in a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan City, wherein he was accompanied by 18 former marines.
The lawyer and one-time senatorial candidate said the marines--described as former colleagues of ex-master sergeant Orly Guteza--made the deliveries on the order of Chief Executive.
Guteza--a former security officer of resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co--gained notoriety last year when he appeared as a surprise witness in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
It was during that hearing he claimed that "luggages of cash" were delivered to President Marcos.
Co, the House Committee on Appropriations chairman during the previous 19th Congress, is a central figure in the flood control projects mess.
“Ang ugat at pinuno ng pagnanakaw sa ating bayan ay walang iba kundi si President Marcos, at hindi gagalaw si [dating] Speaker [Martin] Romualdez at si Zaldy Co na walang pahintulot kay PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos),” Baligod said on Tuesday.
(The root and leader of the plunder in our country is none other than President Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez and Zaldy Co would not make a move without the approval of PBBM.)
Pointing to his marine-companions, Baligod said: "Ngayon po ay lumabas ang mga dating kasamahan ni master sergeant Orly Guteza sa trabaho bilang security consultant o security personal ni dating congressman Zaldy S. Co."
(Now, former colleagues of master sergeant Orly Guteza from his work as a security consultant or security personnel of former congressman Zaldy S. Co have come forward.)
"Ang mga suldalong ito ay wala na sa serbisyo, ngunit ang nasabi nila sa akin, ito ang marahil na huling labanan na kanilang papasukin. At gusto nilang magpaka-sundalo sa ating bayan," he noted.
(These soldiers are no longer in active service, but what they told me is that this will likely be the final battle they will enter. And they want to serve our country as true soldiers.)
Group chat
Baligod alleged that hundreds of deliveries were linked to anomalous flood control projects, and that the money was collected from Co's residence.
“Hindi pa nila nakukuha ang kontrata ay nag-uumpisa na silang mag-remit kay ginoong Zaldy Co, doon sa kanyang bahay sa Valle Verde Phase 6 sa Pasig City (Even before they received the contract, they had already started remitting money to Mr. Zaldy Co, at his house in Valle Verde Phase 6 in Pasig City,” he claimed.
One of the marines shared during the presser: "Mayroon kaming group chat sa team namin kay Boss Zaldy Co. Doon pino-post lahat kung saan magde-deliver, kanino, at kung ilang maleta (We have a group chat with our team under Boss Zaldy Co. That’s where everything is posted, where the deliveries will go, to whom, and how many suitcases)."
To this, Baligod interjected: "Para maklaro lang ‘no. Nag-deliver sila sa Ilocos Norte sa Paoay—sa bahay mismo ni BBM (Just to be clear. They delivered in Ilocos Norte, in Paoay—right at BBM’s house)."
Baligod began the presser by recounting his role as one of the whistleblowers of the Janet Lim Napoles "pork barrel scam" some 13 years ago.
"Yung bilyon-bilyon na ninanakaw noon ay umabot na sa trilyones ngayon. Nasadlak tayo sa mas mabigat na problema (The billions that were stolen before have now reached the trillions. We have fallen into a much heavier problem)," he said.
"Wala po tayong ibang maaasahan ngayon na maglalabas ng katotohanan kundi tayong mga mamamayan din...Hindi natin maaasahan ang nasa gobyerno ngayon na ilabas ang buong katotohanan na walang pinagtatakpan," the lawyer added.
(We cannot rely on anyone else to reveal the truth now except us, the citizens ourselves. We cannot depend on those in government today to bring out the whole truth without covering anything up.)
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