Cayetanos’ contested Senate hearing gives ‘ex-Marines’ platform to attack enemies

MANILA, Philippines – The Cayetano bloc pushed through with their blue ribbon committee hearing on Thursday, June 4, giving retired soldiers a platform to echo corruption allegations against the Marcos administration and traditional opposition figures who have been highly critical of the Duterte family.

The proceeding comes a day after the 12-person bloc led by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian removed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano from the chamber’s top post and installed the former as new Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president. 

As the Cayetano group refuses to cede control over the Senate, the senators held their hearing despite the notice of cancellation of the hearing and its rescheduling to June 8, under new panel chair Erwin Tulof, and the absence of Senate staff. They also complained that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla had allegedly attempted to block them and their guests from attending the meeting.

The hearing, which was ongoing as of writing, saw the Cayetano bloc guide the 18 retired soldiers — mostly members of the Philippine Marines who were allegedly once employed by former congressman Zaldy Co — into expounding on their allegations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former speaker Martin Romualdez, among others, received several suitcases containing wads of cash. 

It was in early March or at the height of the International Criminal Court pre-trial hearings into the crimes against humanity cases of former president Rodrigo Duterte, when the ex-marines’ affidavit first circulated. The allegations they made at the press conference then mirrored what they shared at the June 4 hearing.

The former soldiers implicated various House lawmakers, including congresswoman Leila de Lima, who was not even in office until mid-2025, and left-leaning lawmakers from Makabayan, who have been the staunchest critics of the Marcos administration. 

Two of the retired Marines even alleged that senators Tito Sotto and Erwin Tulfo — who were not even in the upper chamber from 2022 to 2025 — received kickbacks. 

The former Marines claimed that the deliveries of no less than 60 to 70 suitcases per week to various personalities took place from 2022 to 2025, with each luggage containing anywhere from P20 million to P70 million depending on the size. 

The hearing also became an opportunity for the Cayetano bloc to try to undermine the ICC arrest of Duterte.

The former soldiers rehashed allegations that investigators from the ICC also received bribe money through former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

They claimed that even activist priest Flavie Villanueva, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee, accepted flood control kickbacks in exchange for his assistance in the case buildup against the former president.

“It’s bad to cover up extrajudicial killings, but it’s also bad to pay people to make it appear there is EJK if there is none as a state policy,” Cayetano said. (READ: ‘Kill 1,000 and I will protect you‘)

Duterte’s war on drugs killed nearly 30,000 people, based on tallies of several human rights groups.

Most of the personalities mentioned om the retired soldiers’ affidavit have denied the allegations, and many of them sued for perjury and cyber libel.

Other senators who attended the Cayetano bloc’s blue ribbon committee hearing were senators Imee Marcos, Loren Legarda, and Pia Cayetano.

Gatchalian earlier said that senators are not barred from holding meetings, and refused to acknowledge the validity of any hearing conducted on Thursday.

He has directed employees to shift to a work-from-home arrangement on Thursday, in conflict with Cayetano’s order to keep Senate premises open. – Rappler.com