Fourteen additional witnesses, dubbed the “maleta boys,” are set to testify in the next Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing overseen by the panel faction led by Senator Pia Cayetano.
Former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor confirmed that this new batch of witnesses has agreed to cooperate with Cayetano’s bloc, which is conducting an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities surrounding government flood control projects.
The legal counsel for the witnesses, Atty. Levito Baligod, also verified their scheduled attendance for the next leg of the congressional probe. When questioned about when they would surface, he gave a brief response.
“Sa susunod na hearing,” Baligod said.
The development follows an earlier incident where 18 individuals, claiming to be former members of the Philippine Marine Corps, arrived at the Senate but bypassed the parallel hearing being spearheaded by the faction aligned with Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian.
These witnesses, collectively referred to as the “maleta boys,” allege they have personal knowledge regarding the transport and distribution of suitcases filled with cash, which were supposedly tied to the flood control contracts currently facing legislative scrutiny.
The upcoming testimonies from the new group are expected to shed more light on the deep-dive investigation as lawmakers continue to peel back the layers on the alleged funding anomalies.