The soldiers’ testimony that Lacson refused to hearThe soldiers’ testimony that Lacson refused to hear
Second of three parts
WHAT precipitated the revolt against the Marcos minions in the Senate on May 11, was the refusal of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the then Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, to hear the 18 soldiers’ testimonies, claiming that it was a “joyride.” That’s the most conclusive proof that for all his pretensions to be independent, Lacson is Marcos’ main minion in the Senate.
Following is the second part of the “Brave 18” affidavit, the first part having been posted in my Monday column:
24. We alternated in fetching and bringing ICC personalities to and from the airport in 2024 and 2025. Sonny Trillanes gave Belnard Tube the contact numbers of the ICC personalities whom we would pick up.
25. They stayed in different hotels or condominium units during their repeated visits to the Philippines in 2024-2025, such as Raffles-Makati, Somerset Hotel, Seda-Makati, New World-Makati and Diamond-Makati.
26. They used Zaldy Co’s condominium units in Raffles-Makati, while their hotel accommodations in the various hotels were paid for by Mark Ticsay or Ronald Diso (a man of Sonny Trillanes).
27. The ICC group frequently went to Midas Hotel in Pasay City (2024), Holiday Inn-Glorietta, and Holiday Inn-Makati (2025), where they spoke with or interviewed persons whom Sonny Trillanes instructed me (Belnard Tube) to contact, such as PBGen. Jerry Protacio, PCol. Santiago Jordan, Mayor Jed Mabilog, Kerwin Espinosa, Fr. Flavie Villanueva, PCol. Santi Mendoza, PCol. Jeffrey Latayada and PCol. Angel Garcillano. They also went to Bahay Kalinga of Fr. Flavie Villanueva to speak to the families of alleged EJK victims and to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa to talk to former police officers allegedly involved in the killing of Kian de los Santos.
28. Chantal Daniels and William Rosato also had a meeting at a house in Bel-Air, Makati, which to our knowledge was the house of former DOJ secretary Boying Remulla. The meeting was attended by Sonny Trillanes, PGen. Nick Torre and former DOJ secretary Boying Remulla. We learned that it was Secretary Remulla’s house because we were instructed that upon entering the Bel-Air gate we should say that we were going to the house of “Secretary Boying Remulla.”
29. During the repeated visits of the ICC personalities to the Philippines from December 2023 to 2025, we were instructed on four occasions to deliver money to Sonny Trillanes for expenses connected with the ICC personalities: First, I (Bernard Gumban), together with MSgt. Edward Lupian (PA, Ret.) and John Paul Estrada, delivered one paper bag of cash to his office in Quezon City; Second, I (Bernard Gumban), together with MSgt. Andy Polidario and John Paul Estrada, delivered one medium-sized suitcase of money to the same place; Third and Fourth, I (Anselmo Taberdo), together with Mark Ticsay and Roberto Albarico, Jr., delivered two paper bags containing money to the same place for Sonny Trillanes.
30. Sonny Trillanes, Zaldy Co and former speaker Martin Romualdez regularly met at the Manila Polo Club Townhouse in South Forbes Park whenever the ICC personnel were in the Philippines. Because I (Belnard Tube) was one of those often left as Zaldy Co’s security at the Townhouse, I saw that after their meetings Sonny Trillanes was always given a paper bag of money and at times one small suitcase.
31. We rotated in our security duty for the ICC personnel. The affidavit includes sample duty detail schedules.
32. At one point, when the ICC personnel were leaving, I (Belnard Tube) was asked to arrange shipment of some of their belongings because these no longer fit in their suitcases. The affidavit refers to DHL receipts for the shipment of some items of Maya Brackeen to the USA and Delkore Murphy to The Hague, Netherlands.
33. When we escorted the ICC personnel, we noticed the following: (a) the ICC interviewed only the persons whom Sonny Trillanes had instructed Belnard Tube to contact, all of whom went to Midas Hotel, except those interviewed at National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa and at Bahay Kalinga of Fr. Flavie Villanueva; (b) they were always in contact with Sonny Trillanes, and they had two meetings with former speaker Martin Romualdez and Zaldy Co, plus another meeting with PBGen. Nick Torre, Martin Romualde, and Zaldy Co in a house in Bel-Air; (c) their accommodations were paid for by Zaldy Co and Sonny Trillanes; and (d) except for National Bilibid Prisons, all meetings and interviews took place in private locations.
Deliveries to officials
IV. Deliveries to Comelec chairman Atty. George Garcia
34. Zaldy Co and George Garcia had two meetings at Midas Hotel, and in each of those meetings Comelec chairman Atty. George Garcia was given two medium-sized suitcases, or a total of four suitcases of money.
35. Mark Ticsay and Paul Estrada merely transferred the suitcases from our vehicle to the vehicle of Atty. George Garcia in the car park while most of us simply watched.
V. Deliveries to the House of Representatives during quadcom hearings
36. Whenever there was a quadcom hearing, we were instructed to escort the executive assistants of Zaldy Co to the House of Representatives carrying “paper bags,” each containing five million pesos (P5,000,000.00). The executive assistants told us these were for lawmakers.
37. We stayed nearby the helipad and saw lawmakers being picked up there by their drivers, each carrying paper bags which were the same paper bags we had brought.
VI. Deliveries to former speaker Martin Romualdez
38. We began participating in deliveries of suitcase-loads of money to the house of former speaker Martin Romualdez at No. 42 McKinley Road, Forbes Park, from September 2022 to 2023. The delivery address later shifted to No. 14 Narra Street, South Forbes Park from 2024 to 2025. Usually, we delivered to his house in Forbes Park three times a week, or well over one hundred times in total. We delivered not fewer than 20 suitcases and as many as 52 suitcases. At times, as many as six Hi-Ace vans were used for the deliveries.
39. During the same period (September 2022 to 2025), we also delivered three to four times weekly to a house in Aguado directly opposite Malacañang Palace, with no fewer than 20 suitcases in each delivery.
40. We also frequently delivered money to Units 8 & 9, Manila Polo Club Townhouse in Forbes Park.
VII. Delivery of funds for a social media/troll farm operation
41. MSgt. Guteza and Dado were tasked to receive money given by Kevin Wong and Secretary Laurel Tiu and directly hand it to the leader of the trolls located on the second to fourth floors of a building on Valero Street, Makati City. From time to time, Mark Ticsay and Paul Estrada also instructed us to deliver two (2) paper bags to the person leading or handling the said trolls.
42. We were also instructed several times to deliver a medium-sized suitcase to various places such as a car park or directly to the residence of a media person.
VIII. Lawmakers we currently remember as having received money
43. We witnessed many lawmakers being given money placed in expandable envelopes, paper bags, or suitcases, but we do not know all their names although their faces are familiar to us. At present, the following are the lawmakers we remember as having received money because we remember their names: Sen. Chiz Escudero (four suitcases of different sizes in New Manila in December 2024); Sen. Erwin Tulfo (six medium-sized suitcases in a house in Greenhills subdivision); Sen. Loren Legarda (two medium-sized suitcases in North Forbes Park in 2024); former senator Bong Revilla (two medium-sized suitcases transferred to his vehicle after a meeting in Quezon City in 2024); Sen. Tito Sotto (five large suitcases at his office in a building in Baclaran); and former senator and DPWH secretary Mark Villar (seven medium-sized suitcases in Portofino South, Las Piñas, in 2022).
44. We were also instructed to escort and deliver suitcases of various sizes to congressmen and congresswomen whom we remember because we saw them on television or often saw them when they spoke with Zaldy Co. Some deliveries were made at their residences, some at the House of Representatives, and others were claimed at Units 8 or 9 of the Polo Club Townhouse, Forbes Park. The affidavit lists them as Benny Abante, Romeo Acop, Zia Adiong, Jose Alvarez, Jojo Ang, Julienne Baronda, Ace Barbers, Ching Bernos, Arlene Brosas, Frans Castro, Joel Chua, Mannix Dalipe, Leila de Lima, Dan Fernandez, Janet Garin, Dong Gonzales, Jay Khonghun, Gerville Luistro, Raoul Manuel, Sandro Marcos, Paolo Ortega, Joseph Paduano, Stella Quimbo, Martin Romualdez, Jayjay Suarez and Erwin Tulfo.
IX. Other deliveries to other government officials
45. I (Belnard Tube) was included by Zaldy Co in a delivery of five (5) large suitcases to the house of Bongbong Marcos and Liza Marcos in Ilocos Norte. Sandro Marcos was at the house at the time and received them, and a few hours later BBM and Liza Marcos also arrived. We used an airplane branded AirTaxi.ph. We landed in Laoag City and then traveled by land to their house. We stayed overnight there, and I have photos with Bongbong Marcos and Sandro Marcos inside the house.
46. We (Waupan and others) also unloaded two medium-sized suitcases at Basement 3 of Horizon Homes Shangri-La, and former DBM secretary Amena Pangandaman personally received those suitcases there.
47. Retired general Gregorio Catapang, Bucor chief, also delivered eight suitcases (large and medium sizes) to Zaldy Co at BGC Shangri-La. While Zaldy Co and Gregorio Catapang were talking, Paul Estrada asked for help in transferring the eight suitcases from a pickup at the BGC Shangri-La car park to our vehicle.
48. We (Gumban and others), together with Mark Ticsay, also delivered eight suitcases (one small, seven medium) to the house of former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan in Quezon City.
49. We also saw retired general Eduardo M. Año being given a paper bag after a meeting at the Polo Club Townhouse with Zaldy Co, former Speaker Martin Romualdez and Leila de Lima.
X. Some photos and videos of our deliveries of money
50. Throughout the entire period of our employment under Zaldy Co, we were able to take photos or videos of some of our escorts of money that he caused to be delivered to certain government officials, as narrated above. He also allegedly sent large amounts of money to media personalities. The affidavit states that some of these photos are attached.
XI. Active police officers we worked with who stole money from the suitcases
51. Some of our co-workers who were in active service in the Philippine National Police and who regularly joined the deliveries included Maj. Ermelo Dichoso Jr., PCpt. Alvin Nuguid, PMSgt.Jhonnie Calleja, PCMS Larry Bellen, PMSgt. Dennis John Burbon, PSgt. Julius Mendoza, PMSgt. Richard J. Ocampos, PMSgt. Nery Jason A. Oira Jr., PMSgt. Emmanuel P. Areglado, PMSgt. Israel R. Ayson, PMSgt. Erwin Y. Dizon, PSMS John Dale S. Maquillao, PCMS Richard V. Delos Santos, PCMS Valentino T. Taguba, PSSgt. Joven M. Tumaliuan and PSSgt. Ernesto Bermundo.
52. Some of them benefited by breaking the locks of the suitcases and taking several bundles of money, then replacing the damaged locks. The affidavit states that examples of these acts are shown in the attached photos.
XII. Threats and bribery
53. One of our former superiors in our work under Zaldy Co told one of our companions to tell us that we should not reveal to anyone what we knew about the money deliveries because the concerned persons could retaliate against us; and that if we cooperated with him, we had to execute an affidavit contradicting the statements of Orly Guteza. In exchange, we would be given a reward. We refused.
54. Because we refused, threats and intimidation were made against us through calls and text messages. Some of our former co-workers were persuaded to execute affidavits, and these were shared with us. We were also told that they were video-recorded and photographed while they were signing.
To be continued on Friday, June 12
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The soldiers’ testimony that Lacson refused to hearThe soldiers’ testimony that Lacson refused to hear
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