NBI identifies 6 more ‘ex-Marines’ bribed to testify – Matibag
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified six more alleged former Marines supposedly being bribed to testify in the flood control anomalies, NBI Director Melvin Matibag revealed on Friday.
In a roundtable discussion with the Inquirer editors and reporters, Matibag said that the number of supposed former Marines being bribed was 24, including the 18 who first appeared in public.
He said these individuals are all included among the 103 former security aides of former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co.
“There are around 100 ex-Marines [who served as security aides of Co], they are recruiting them all, only 18 Marines came. They should have included these six. They should have an additional six,” Matibag said partly in Filipino.
“Those are the six they still wanted to recruit, which they should have released earlier,” Matibag said.
READ: NBI probes ‘additional ex-Marines’ allegedly being bribed to testify
When asked if the NBI had already identified the six supposed former Marines also recruited to testify, Matibag answered in the affirmative, adding that they are studying whether these individuals will also be subpoenaed to appear amid the bureau’s ongoing probe.
He also said the NBI has not yet established who is behind the supposed bribery of the six identified ex-Marines.
On Thursday, Matibag said they received information that former congressman Mike Defensor allegedly bribed each of the “18 ex-Marines” P5 million to testify in the flood control anomalies.
He said the individual who gave the testimony is the partner of a child of one of the 18 alleged former Marines.
Matibag, however, noted that they were still investigating the credibility of the claims; thus, the bureau issued a subpoena to Defensor and the supposed former Marine.
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Defensor earlier denied the allegations against him, saying that it is “nonsense” being used to discredit the supposed 18 former Marines.
He said he had not yet received the subpoena but noted that “there is no problem about attending.”
On February 24, counsel Atty. Levito Baligod introduced the 18 individuals as former Marines who claimed they served as “bagmen” for Co and delivered P805 billion in alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood-control projects to various personalities and government officials.
Baligod also alleged that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. masterminded the scheme and claimed the funds were distributed to several other personalities, including former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Co. /jpv
