MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday said he had instructed his lawyer to withdraw the cases he filed against four former soldiers who recanted their earlier affidavits and allegations against him, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other personalities.
Trillanes said he sympathized with the four former soldiers, whom he claimed were exploited.
"As a former soldier, I sympathize with what they are going through. Because of their lack of livelihood, they were exploited by people with dark political motives," Trillanes said in a statement.
"I hope they learned an important lesson from these events. I also hope the other former soldiers who continue to be deceived will eventually realize the truth," he added.
Lawyer Levi Baligod, who represents the remaining 14 of the original 18 alleged "Maleta Boys," said the four had recanted their statements due to personal reasons, including fear for their safety, family concerns, the difficulty of repeatedly traveling to Manila for the proceedings, and the prolonged pressure to withdraw their allegations.
Asked about Trillanes' decision to withdraw the cases against the four, Baligod said the former senator had worked on the move.
"Yes, it is okay, because it is them who worked on it for them to pull-back. It’s okay, it is normal for someone with a big problem," Baligod said.
Baligod also claimed that one of the 18 alleged "Maleta Boys" had previously sent him a message saying, "I'm sorry sir, because I experienced temptation."
He added that some of the four cited their families as a reason for their decision and claimed they told him there was an offer made to them.
