The members of the 18 "maleta boys" who retracted their affidavit have betrayed their role as "pawns", thus they must now reveal who their "king" is.

Remarks from Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. and former Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers point to this demand as authorities try to decide on what to do with the recantation of at least four of the controversial bodyguards-slash-flood control projects mess bagmen.

“Their recantations clearly show that someone prepared a script and used them to spread false allegations against senior government officials and members of the House prosecution panel,” Barbers said, as he described them as mere "pawns" in the situation.

The former overall chairman of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) was referring to the solon-prosecutors who are out to get a conviction on Vice President Sara Duterte in her ongoing Senate impeachment trial.

Barbers is serving as House impeachment adviser. Asked whether the recantations strengthened the House prosecution panel’s credibility, he said yes.

"Ang pagbawi ay nagpapakita na may nagdikta at nag-udyok sa kanila na mag-sinungaling, at ito ay isang sadyang pag-atake para siraan ang impeachment process. Malamang konsensya at napakong pangako ang dahilan ng pagbawi nila," he noted.

(The retraction shows that someone dictated and pushed them to lie, and this is a deliberate attack meant to discredit the impeachment process. Most likely conscience and broken promises are the reasons for their retraction.)

According to reports, Rosebert Macasasa Waupan, Cecilio Serafica Larroder Jr., Benny Bulontate and Bernard Tube — who identified themselves as former bodyguards of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co — executed separate affidavits withdrawing statements they had previously submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Abante, the current quad-comm overall chairman--challenged the four maleta boys who walked back on their previous remarks to identify the persons allegedly behind the preparation of supposedly fabricated affidavits.

He said the recantations raise serious questions that must be answered, particularly after the four alleged that they had been pressured, threatened or induced into signing prepared affidavits.

“Ang hinihingi natin ay simple: buong katotohanan. Kung fabricated ang mga affidavit, sino ang nag-fabricate? Kung scripted, sino ang gumawa ng script? Kung may mastermind, pangalanan at patunayan,” Abante said.

(What we are asking for is simple: the whole truth. If the affidavits are fabricated, who fabricated them? If they are scripted, who wrote the script? If there is a mastermind, name and prove it.)

Their previous sworn statements contained allegations against President Marcos, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Co, and several other political personalities.

They also claimed that lawyer Levito Baligod was among those who allegedly directed their activities and coached them on their public statements.

“If they are now saying that their previous affidavits were fabricated, then they have a responsibility to identify the people behind them. Name names, tell the whole story, and present the evidence,” added Abante, who last February endorsed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte.

Abante stressed that a recantation by itself does not settle the issue of what is true or false. He said the new allegations of fabrication, coercion and inducement must likewise be subjected to scrutiny and supported by evidence.

Abante earlier filed libel and cyberlibel complaints against Baligod and 18 former bodyguards after he was implicated in allegations involving supposed deliveries of cash-filled luggage.