Eighteen former members of the Philippine Marines accused investigators of the International Criminal Court of allegedly receiving $2 million from former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and former Congressman Zaldy Co to support the ICC investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The allegations were disclosed during a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan, where lawyer Levi Baligod presented affidavits executed by the former soldiers.
According to Baligod, the affiants claimed they delivered money to Trillanes intended to fund the ICC’s investigation into Duterte. The former Marines were previously associated with Orly Guteza, who earlier alleged that he delivered suitcases containing kickbacks from government projects to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The former soldiers, who served as executive assistants to Co, alleged they were instructed to exchange two suitcases containing P56 million each. The funds were allegedly converted into $2 million and given to Trillanes.
They further claimed that when ICC investigators arrived in December 2023, Trillanes supposedly shouldered hotel accommodations, food, transportation and other expenses.
Baligod declined to provide copies of the affidavits to the media, saying a complaint would first be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman. He said copies would also be furnished to the ICC and its member-states to show alleged corruption involving its personnel.
Trillanes denied the accusations, saying the move was an attempt to discredit the ongoing ICC proceedings.
