Senate hearing proceeds with retired soldiers presenting cash allegations
A Senate committee hearing continued on June 4 despite a cancellation notice. Retired soldiers described alleged cash deliveries to multiple officials between 2022 and 2025.
manilatimes.netA Senate committee hearing took place on June 4 after a notice had rescheduled it for June 8. Eighteen retired soldiers appeared and described deliveries of 60 to 70 suitcases per week, each containing between 20 million and 70 million pesos, from 2022 to 2025.
The soldiers said the suitcases went to several public figures. , former speaker Martin Romualdez, congresswoman Leila de Lima, senators Tito Sotto and Erwin Tulfo, and activist priest Flavie Villanueva. One soldier later said the inclusion of de Lima may have been an error.
Allegations and responses The soldiers also said investigators from the International Criminal Court received payments through former senator Antonio Trillanes IV. They claimed Villanueva accepted payments in exchange for assistance building a case against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Most of the named individuals have denied the allegations and filed perjury and cyber-libel complaints. Duterte’s drug war resulted in nearly 30,000 deaths according to tallies by several human rights groups.
Senate dispute The hearing occurred after a 12-person group removed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano from a leadership post and installed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as acting Senate president. The same group directed staff to work from home on June 4, while the hearing proceeded without Senate staff present.
Senators Imee Marcos, Loren Legarda, and Pia Cayetano attended. The group said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla had tried to prevent participants from entering the room.
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