MANILA. Eighteen former Marines snubbed the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on Monday, June 8, 2026, regarding alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
The no-show of the ex-Marines, who were considered key witnesses to the anomalies, caused deep disappointment for Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian.
What surprised many was the revelation by Senator Erwin Tulfo, the committee chair, that the 18 former soldiers were actually inside the Senate building at the time. Instead of entering the hearing room to face the legal process, they refused to appear and chose instead to stay and monitor the investigation's progress from Senator Robin Padilla's office.
Their lawyer, Levito Baligod, did not formally explain to the panel secretariat why they failed to attend the investigation.
Due to the former soldiers' evasion, Gatchalian could not help but express his frustration in his opening statement. The senator made it clear that if they truly held the truth, they should not pick and choose which official to face.
"There are many inconsistencies and gaps, and I want clarity for a fair hearing. But in this situation, I am personally disappointed because we did not have the chance to question them," Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian explained that their testimony would have been a great help because there are still many sealed documents, inconsistencies, and gaps in the past stories of the former soldiers.
