Philippines: 18 ex-Marines rock Manila with explosive allegations, Marcos Jr., cousin Romualdez tagged in $13.9-billion flood control mega-kickbacks

Manila: In an explosive claim, 18 former Philippine Marines publicly stepped forward to confirm long-standing accusations of massive cash deliveries involving high-level officials, including President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president's cousin.

The ex-personnel, who once served as security for businessman and resigned AKO Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, appeared on Wednesday (February 24, 2026) at a press conference in Club Filipino, San Juan City. 

The allegations and supposed trail of kickbacks are damning.

They are contained in a joint affidavit signed by the ex-servicemen.

A livestreamed investigation into its specifics could have serious knock-on implications amidst mounting uproar over the practice of "tongpats", or systematic theft of Filipino taxpayers' money.

They backed claims that suitcases stuffed with cash — allegedly kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects — were delivered to residences linked to Co, Marcos Jr., and Romualdez.

Lawyer Levi Baligod, a veteran whistleblower from the 2013 pork barrel scam, presented the group and alleged the operation involved roughly ₱805 billion ($13.9 billion). 

Baligod described a coordinated system using a group chat where destinations, recipients, and suitcase counts (each reportedly holding about ₱48 million | about $833,200) were posted.

In November, Co released a video blaming President Marcos Jr for the budget mess. Specifically, Co claimed that Marcos "ordered" the budget insertions amounting to ₱100 billion as Filipino lawmakers deliberated on the provisions of the 2025 national budget (General Appropriations Act) in late 2024.

Deliveries reportedly originated from Co’s Valle Verde Phase 6 home in Pasig City and reached sites including Paoay in Ilocos Norte (President Marcos’ residence) and other Marcos-linked properties.

Witnesses stated remittances began even before project contracts were awarded, with one noting deliveries of five suitcases in Ilocos alongside Co.

Baligod declared President Marcos the “root and leader” of the plunder, asserting Romualdez and Co acted only with his approval.

Twelve additional ex-Marines could not attend due to safety concerns, while 10 more plan to surface later.

Former Senator Sonny Trillanes IV, also an ex-Navy officer, has denied the allegations linking him to the scam.

The ex-military men framed their testimony as a "final act of service to the nation".

These revelations directly corroborate the September 2025 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee testimony of Orly Guteza, another former Co security aide and former Marines Master Sergeant.

Guteza had stunned lawmakers by admitting he personally hauled cash-filled “luggage” (slang for "illicit funds") to Romualdez and Co’s homes amid probes into substandard, overpriced flood control works, especially in flood-prone Bulacan.

Co, who chaired the House Appropriations Committee in the 19th Congress, remains central to the scandal.

The claims escalate a Senate investigation into thousands of anomalous infrastructure projects, where engineers previously testified that kickbacks inflated costs and compromised quality.

Baligod compared the scale to the Napoles-era pork barrel plunder but called it far larger, urging citizens — not government insiders — to demand truth.

The allegations remain unproven. Except for Trillanes' X post, there's been no official response from named parties.

The synchronised testimonies from multiple ex-Marines add weight to calls for deeper accountability in one of the Philippines’ most entrenched corruption controversies.

This unfolding drama highlights persistent governance challenges, testing public trust in institutions and the rule of law at the highest levels.