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Brains behind 'maleta boys' must be unmasked amid recantations, says ranking solon
Philippines
National
Brains behind 'maleta boys' must be unmasked amid recantations, says ranking solon
Brains behind 'maleta boys' must be unmasked amid recantations, says ranking solon
Published Aug 23, 2026 06:36 pm
The House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has echoed his fellow House officials' demand for authorities to unmask the possible masterminds behind the supposed lies peddled by the so-called 18 "maleta boys".
Four of the 18 former security aides who had executed affidavits concerning alleged cash deliveries linked to former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co have publicly withdrawn their statements.
Meanwhile, one-time Senate Blue Ribbon Committee witness Orly Guteza separately recanted an earlier account involving former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez and Co.
Ridon said the reversals cast substantial doubt on the earlier accusations. As such, he urged his House colleagues to consider the available legal remedies and to determine whether the people who allegedly recruited, assisted or directed the affiants should be investigated.
“I would recommend my colleagues in the House to do so,” the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts said.
“Iyong mga retractions na ginawa from previous days and previous weeks, pagpapakita po talaga ito na malaking bahagi ng mga binabanggit nila ay mga kasinungalingan,” he added.
(The retractions made in recent days and weeks truly show that a large part of what they mentioned were lies.)
“At wala pong batayan kundi concoction nung ilan po nilang mga kasama at nung ilan po sa mga gumamit po sa kanila nitong nagdaang mga buwan,” he noted.
(And they had no basis other than concoctions from some of their companions and from some who used them in the past months.)
Who are pulling the strings?
Earlier, House quad-committee (quad-comm) 2.0 overall chairman Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. and House impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers underscored the need to identify who were pulling the maleta boys' strings.
Reports said that in his new affidavit, Guteza alleged that Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor influenced the preparation of his earlier testimony. The two, who are both detained, have yet to respond.
Ridon said lawmakers and other persons named in the original Guteza and maleta boys' affidavits could use the recantations as additional evidence in any complaint or response they choose to pursue.
“Malaya po ang lahat ng mga idinawit, una doon sa Guteza affidavit, makalawa doon po sa mga ‘maleta boys’ affidavit, at tingin ko may batayan para habulin iyong mga nagpakana,” he said.
(All those implicated, first in the Guteza affidavit and then in the ‘maleta boys’ affidavit, are free, and I believe there is basis to go after those who orchestrated it.)
The inquiry, Ridon said, should not stop with the former Marines or security aides who signed the affidavits. It should test claims that political actors or intermediaries were involved, while preserving due process for everyone accused.
“It is not just the former Marines, maleta boys, who were involved in this slander, but actual political operatives na talagang ginamit sila para dito sa bagay na ito (who truly used them for this purpose),” he said.
No credibility left
Meanwhile, Romualdez's counsel, lawyer Ade Fajardo, said the maleta boys' earlier accounts have lost all credibility after repeated changes and direct denials.
Fajardo said the reversals and contradictions had made it difficult to treat the testimonial record as reliable.
“It's no longer credible. Wala nang credible testimony. Kung mga sampung beses ka na nag-somersault, e di ano pang credible doon? Hindi po ba? One way or the other?” he said in a recent interview.
(It’s no longer credible. There is no credible testimony. If you’ve already done a somersault ten times, then what credibility is left? Isn’t that so? One way or the other?)
The ex-speaker's lawyer also said several affiants claimed they had been approached with financial incentives to join the original witness group.
“Many of them, I think a substantial number, said that they were expressly, explicitly offered financial reward to join the quote-unquote ‘Brave,’” he said.