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Advocates Philippines
Malacanang Rejects Bagmen Testimony; Labels It A Lousy Script
Screengrab from RTVM
Malacañang on Monday firmly rejected the accusations made by lawyer Levi Baligod and a group of former Marines who claimed they were ordered to deliver ₱805 billion in cash to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., then Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, and then Congressman Zaldy Co.
In a strongly worded statement, Palace spokesperson and Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed the allegations as recycled fiction.
“Lousy script, hindi award-winning,” Castro said, calling the claims “a lie repeated many times.”
Palace: No Evidence Behind the Claims
Officials stressed that the accusations lack any verified documentary or financial trail. They noted that the scale of the alleged deliveries is logistically impossible, with experts pointing out that such an amount would trigger immediate detection under banking and anti-money laundering regulations.
Palace insiders familiar with internal assessments suggested that the timing of the allegations appears politically motivated, though this remains the administration’s interpretation rather than a verified fact.
The Testimony Behind the Controversy
The issue erupted after Atty. Baligod publicized what he described as sworn accounts from 18 former Marines, alleging they were involved in a covert operation transporting massive stacks of cash to government leaders. However, no independent body has authenticated these claims, and the supposed documents have not been officially released for scrutiny.
Security analysts say the narrative spread quickly due to the political stature of the officials named and the enormity of the amount—₱805 billion—an amount equivalent to a significant portion of the national budget.
A retired finance official noted that handling such physical cash would require warehouse-level logistics, far beyond what undocumented operatives could manage.
Experts: ₱805 Billion Transfer ‘Highly Unrealistic’
Economists and former treasury officials have echoed the same concern: the alleged amount is so large that no bank could move it quietly.
A former BSP deputy governor, speaking off-record, explained that withdrawing or transporting such a sum would automatically alert multiple government agencies.
“No bank, private or state-owned, can move that much physical currency without immediate detection,” the official said.
Political Tension Expected to Rise
With protest actions and the EDSA anniversary fueling political noise, observers expect the issue to linger online even without hard evidence to support the claims.
For now, Malacañang’s stance is unequivocal: the allegations are fiction, and those responsible for spreading them should be held accountable.
“A lie repeated many times does not become the truth,” Castro reiterated.
In a strongly worded statement, Palace spokesperson and Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed the allegations as recycled fiction.
“Lousy script, hindi award-winning,” Castro said, calling the claims “a lie repeated many times.”
Palace: No Evidence Behind the Claims
Officials stressed that the accusations lack any verified documentary or financial trail. They noted that the scale of the alleged deliveries is logistically impossible, with experts pointing out that such an amount would trigger immediate detection under banking and anti-money laundering regulations.
Palace insiders familiar with internal assessments suggested that the timing of the allegations appears politically motivated, though this remains the administration’s interpretation rather than a verified fact.
The Testimony Behind the Controversy
The issue erupted after Atty. Baligod publicized what he described as sworn accounts from 18 former Marines, alleging they were involved in a covert operation transporting massive stacks of cash to government leaders. However, no independent body has authenticated these claims, and the supposed documents have not been officially released for scrutiny.
Security analysts say the narrative spread quickly due to the political stature of the officials named and the enormity of the amount—₱805 billion—an amount equivalent to a significant portion of the national budget.
A retired finance official noted that handling such physical cash would require warehouse-level logistics, far beyond what undocumented operatives could manage.
Experts: ₱805 Billion Transfer ‘Highly Unrealistic’
Economists and former treasury officials have echoed the same concern: the alleged amount is so large that no bank could move it quietly.
A former BSP deputy governor, speaking off-record, explained that withdrawing or transporting such a sum would automatically alert multiple government agencies.
“No bank, private or state-owned, can move that much physical currency without immediate detection,” the official said.
Political Tension Expected to Rise
With protest actions and the EDSA anniversary fueling political noise, observers expect the issue to linger online even without hard evidence to support the claims.
For now, Malacañang’s stance is unequivocal: the allegations are fiction, and those responsible for spreading them should be held accountable.
“A lie repeated many times does not become the truth,” Castro reiterated.
Feb 25, 2026
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