Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday, June 8, 2026, questioned the credibility of the so-called 18 ex-Marines whose allegations have become central to ongoing Senate inquiries into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
Speaking during a consultative meeting of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Erwin Tulfo, the senator outlined several inconsistencies, factual discrepancies, and conflicting statements he said cast doubt on the reliability of the accounts previously presented by the group during a separate Senate hearing led by Senator Pia Cayetano on June 4.
The June 4 hearing, conducted by the Cayetano bloc, featured testimonies from several former security personnel of fugitive former Congressman Zaldy Co and self-described former Marines who alleged that they had transported cash and witnessed transactions involving prominent political figures and other personalities linked to the flood control controversy. Senator Erwin was among those implicated by the alleged former soldier in the delivery of millions worth of cash inside suitcases.
Tulfo challenged the portrayal of the group as “former Marines,” arguing that not all members of the group had served as Marines and that several had reportedly been discharged from military service for various reasons.
“Why is this information very important? Because for people to believe their allegations it must come from a credible and reliable source and so the people using and portraying them as heroes sabi nga ng isang senador na umattend ng hearing na yon bayani daw po sila,” he said.
“Pero nakakahiya naman po sila sa iba nating bayani na itong 18 na kargador na ilang taon nagtrabaho kay Zaldy Co merong 7 years at 9 years (nagtrabaho) at nagbitbit daw ng isang katutak ng pera at ngayon ay naninira ng buhay ng ibang tao ay tatawagin natin bayani? Pasensya na hindi ko hahayaan sila Jose Rizal, Andress Bonifacio, at ng ating mga OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers),” he added.
Among the issues raised by Tulfo was what he described as an “iPhone time-travel” inconsistency, citing a testimony of Benny Bulontante, who claimed that former Philippine National Police chief Nicolas Torre had approached the group in 2024 and later asked them to surrender their mobile phones in exchange for new units, allegedly including an iPhone 16e. Tulfo noted that the iPhone 16e model only became available in 2025, raising questions about the timeline presented by the witness. The senator suggested that such discrepancies warrant closer scrutiny to determine the accuracy of the testimony.
Tulfo also noted that initial statements reportedly contained detailed accounts, involving the alleged delivery of cash-filled suitcases to several public officials, including members of the Senate such as Senators Loren Legarda and Mark and Camille Villar, complete with specific locations and addresses. However, he said those claims were either omitted or no longer emphasized during later appearances.
“Ano ang nangyari sa pagpapalabas ng katotohanan kung pinipili lang nila kung anong impormasyon ang ilalabas?” Tulfo said.
Another point raised by Tulfo involved testimony by Co’s former security aide, Bernald Tube, who allegedly claimed that he accompanied the embattled former lawmaker in converting between P50 million and P60 million from pesos to US dollars at a money-changing establishment in Makati. According to Tulfo, an initial verification conducted by his office found no record of a money changer operating at the location identified by the witness inside Pearl Bank Building.
“Akin pong pinasilip ang lugar na sinasabi sa Makati, ngunit walang record ng money changer sa Pearl Bank Building. Dapat makumpirma ito,” he said.
Tulfo also cited allegations made by some members of the group against former Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima. Sotto has publicly denied claims linking him to the controversy, noting that a person identified in the testimony, his former executive assistant, had long been deceased. Meanwhile, allegations involving De Lima were later questioned because the timeline cited by witnesses allegedly predated her tenure as a member of the House of Representatives.
The senator argued that such developments further underscore the need to thoroughly examine the testimonies before drawing conclusions.
“It seems that some of the information from these 18 porters are fed, they have a hard time telling the stories on their own. Kung papanoorin mo ang live selling nila noong Huwebes, hirap sila ikwento ang kanilang naratibo, the presiding officers of the forum are coaching and leading the resourceful persons pag medyo nagkakamali syempre inaayos ng presiding officer ang testimonya, minsan si Attorney Baligod na kahit wala siyang firsthand knowledge,” said Tulfo.
The June 4 Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing was presided over by Senator Rodante Marcoleta. Tulfo also called for a separate investigation into claims that members of the group may have received P5 million each to make such claims.
The 18 former security personnel and their legal counsel did not attend Monday’s proceedings, despite invitations from the committee although they were in the building, at the office of Senator Robin Padilla, where they held a press conference. According to the Senate Blue Ribbon Secretariat, no explanation for their absence was received. Their nonappearance drew criticism from Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian, who said the hearing was an important venue for clarifying questions and addressing inconsistencies surrounding the allegations.
