Several current and former members of the House of Representatives have strongly refuted claims made by a group calling itself the “18 Marines,” who accused them of accepting suitcases filled with cash linked to anomalous flood control projects.
Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima on Thursday reiterated that she has never taken any kickbacks from the alleged projects, labeling the accusations as entirely fabricated and legally actionable.
De Lima stated she has already taken steps against those behind the claims.
“I have already responded to these blatant lies and filed libel/cyberlibel complaint before the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and perjury complaint before the DOJ (Department of Justice),” she said.
The former senator rejected the notion that she accepted illicit funds in any form, emphasizing that the narrative is riddled with self-contradictions.
“Uulitin ko: Whether sa maleta, sa paper bag o anuman yan, wala akong tinatanggap na pera. Hindi na rin nakapagtataka na nagkakabuhol-buhol ang kwento at paratang sa akin dahil imbento lang ang mga pinagsasabi nila—kasinungalingan na inulit lang sa isang kwestyonableng hearing sa Senado,” she added.
Meanwhile, Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua and Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon pointed out significant inconsistencies in the testimonies presented to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Chua highlighted that the alleged drop-off location shifted from the House of Representatives complex in a February 2026 affidavit to a townhouse in the latest testimony.
“First of all I sternly deny their lies, it is already obvious that they are lying because in the first affidavit that they submitted, according to them, I was given a suitcase inside the HOR (House of Representatives),” Chua said in a phone interview.
“But now, they are saying that they gave it to me inside the townhouse. So just at this stage we can see that they are lying, they are mentioning different venues. Maybe they have been confused because of their lies,” he added.
Ridon suggested the allegations were specifically timed to target the House impeachment prosecution panel, noting his name only appeared after he joined the team in May.
“I think that is the objective of the hearing today, because we saw that the added names are part of the prosecution panel and they were never mentioned in the initial affidavit. So for example, the affidavit of the 18 Marines was released last February, but some names like mine were floated just now,” Ridon said.
“If they actually knew who I was, it should have been there in that actual affidavit, right? But again, we are looking at it as a deliberate attempt to besmirch the credibility of the prosecution panel, but we will not be deterred,” he added.
Former Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers also criticized the Senate proceedings, characterizing them as a distraction from the upcoming July 6 impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“While I cannot comment on the case I filed against these people, I would like to point out that the ongoing meeting is a serious political destabilization effort and meant to divert attention from the impeachment of VP Sara to the alleged flood control scandal,” Barbers said.
He dared the accusers to take their claims to court rather than airing them in legislative inquiries.
“Sa korte na lang kayo magpaliwanag,” he said.
Palawan 2nd District Representative Jose Alvarez also denied the allegations, suggesting his name was included because he refused to support an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Wala akong tinanggap na pera, wala silang dinala sa akin na maleta,” Alvarez told reporters during a press conference at the Senate.
Alvarez recalled a communication from former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor regarding the complaint.
“Mahirap man akong magsabi ng motibo, ngunit siguro may kinalaman doon sa pinadala sa akin ni Mike Defensor,” he said.
He alleged that his inclusion on the list was retaliation for declining Defensor’s request.
“Si Mike Defensor nagpadala sa akin ng impeachment ni Pangulo, ako ‘yong unang, nandito sa cellphone ko, gusto niyong makita? Pagkatapos, pinadala sa akin, na kung maaari daw i-endorso ko, eh no’ng hindi ko inendorso bigla na lang akong nagkapangalan dito,” Alvarez added.