REP. Leila de Lima on Monday filed complaints for libel, cyberlibel and perjury against lawyer Levito Baligod and 18 individuals who introduced themselves as former Marines, accusing them of spreading false allegations that she received billions of pesos from former congressman Zaldy Co.
De Lima, the representative of the Mamamayang Liberal party-list and a deputy minority leader in the House, filed the cases before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The cases stemmed from sworn statements and public remarks by Baligod and the other respondents that she and other personalities received cash supposedly delivered by Co to support the building of cases against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
De Lima told reporters after filing the cases that the allegations were “lies” intended to damage her reputation.
“It’s very clear to me that these are being done to besmirch my reputation and smear my name,” she said.
De Lima also filed a perjury complaint against the 18 individuals over what she described as untruthful statements in their sworn affidavit.
The allegations circulated after a press conference organized by Baligod in February, where the group presented a joint affidavit claiming they had served as Co’s security personnel and “bagmen.”
They claimed that large sums of money were delivered to several officials, including de Lima.
De Lima denied receiving such payments.
She pointed out inconsistencies in the accusations, saying the claim shifted from money allegedly delivered in suitcases to cash supposedly placed in a paper bag.
Baligod later acknowledged in media interviews that naming de Lima as one of those who received the money may have been an error.
He said he and his co-respondents were “ready and willing to face all accusations against us.”
De Lima suggested that the allegations could be intended to distract from developments involving Duterte, who has been detained for a year in a facility of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands while facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to thousands of deaths during his anti-drug campaign.
“It could only be the handiwork of the Duterte camp. Just look at the timing,” de Lima said.
Catholic priest Flavie Villanueva, who joined de Lima in filing the complaints, said the allegations were also an attempt to discredit witnesses and victims of killings linked to the anti-drug campaign.
Villanueva, founder of the shelter program Bahay Kalinga for families of drug war victims, said the accusations were meant to undermine testimony related to the killings.
“This is a scare tactic and a smear campaign,” he said.
Several officials named in the affidavit have denied the allegations. The Philippine Navy has also said that at least four of the 18 individuals identified in the affidavit were never members of the Navy or the Marine Corps.
The controversy has also drawn legal action from Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., director general of the Bureau of Corrections, who accused the group of falsely linking him to the alleged cash deliveries.
The group said Catapang delivered “walong maleta” — eight suitcases containing millions of pesos — to Co at the basement parking area of a hotel in Bonifacio Global City.
The accusations were later circulated online after the press conference was streamed on several platforms and discussed in a podcast episode hosted by broadcast journalist Jessica Soho.
“I did not deliver eight suitcases of cash to Zaldy Co at BGC Shangri-La or anywhere else, and I did not participate in any kickback scheme,” Catapang said in his complaint.
He also filed a perjury case against the 18 individuals before the Las Piñas City Prosecutor’s Office, and a disbarment complaint against Baligod before the Supreme Court.
Catapang said the claims in the affidavit were “mathematically impossible.”
He said large suitcases could hold between P50 million and P70 million in cash, while medium-sized ones could contain P30 million to P40 million.
Based on those figures, the alleged eight suitcases would contain several hundred million pesos.
Catapang said the accusations surfaced after he allowed several prisoners to testify before a House Quad Committee inquiry investigating extrajudicial killings linked to the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.
He said a complaint had earlier been filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman by Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, in connection with his cooperation with the congressional inquiry.
Catapang also accused Baligod of resorting to “trial by publicity,” saying the lawyer chose to present the accusations during a press conference rather than filing a case before the courts.