Four of the 18 so-called “Maleta Boys” have reportedly recanted their earlier statements alleging that they delivered suitcases filled with money to the residences of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, throwing another major complication into the controversial flood-control scandal.

The complication stems from the Ombudsman’s use of those testimonies in its plunder case against the former speaker. Ombudsman Crispin Remulla openly accused the former speaker of being behind the recantation, something that the speaker’s camp strongly denied.

The development was confirmed by National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, who said the agency had received “feelers” from members of the group who wanted to withdraw or clarify their earlier statements.

This development confirms earlier “predictions” made by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who said that these so-called whistleblowers would eventually give up since most of their allegations are false.

Matibag said the number initially started at two before increasing to four, with the possibility that more members could eventually come forward.

The 18 men had previously presented themselves as former Marines and claimed that they had served as security escorts or bodyguards connected to former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. They alleged that they transported suitcases containing millions of pesos in cash to various personalities, including Romualdez and Marcos, in connection with alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects.

Their allegations became a major component of the political controversy surrounding the multibillion-peso flood-control scandal.

One of the men who has publicly spoken about withdrawing his allegations is Rosebert Macasasa Waupan. In a statement reportedly submitted to authorities, Waupan alleged that the group had been promised substantial payments in exchange for participating in the allegations.

He specifically pointed to lawyer Levito Baligod and alleged the involvement of former congressman Mike Defensor and Senator Rodante Marcoleta. These remain allegations from the witness and have not been established as fact.

The recantations could significantly affect the credibility of the original accusations.

The “Maleta Boys” first attracted national attention after several of the men appeared in public and before congressional investigators, claiming they had personally transported luggage allegedly containing enormous amounts of cash. In September 2025, for example, former security aide Orly Regala Guteza testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he personally delivered suitcases allegedly containing about ₱48 million each to properties associated with Zaldy Co and Romualdez. Romualdez denied the allegations and called the testimony flawed and politically motivated.

But questions surrounding the group had already emerged.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines subsequently distanced itself from the men, stressing that the witnesses were acting in their private capacities and were no longer active military personnel when the alleged activities supposedly occurred. The Philippine Navy also said that 14 of the 18 had been dishonorably discharged or separated from service, while four had never been members of the Philippine Navy or Marines.

The latest development comes as the legal pressure on the group intensifies.

The Department of Justice recently approved the filing of multiple cases against the 18 “Maleta Boys” and Baligod. According to the DOJ, the former soldiers are facing 10 separate informations involving six counts of cyber libel and four counts of perjury, while Baligod is also facing a separate cyber-libel case.

The cases were subsequently filed in four Metro Manila Regional Trial Courts, according to the DOJ.

The recantations therefore raise a central question in the flood-control controversy: Were the original accusations based on genuine firsthand accounts, or were some of the witnesses persuaded, coached or promised something to make the allegations?

For Romualdez, the development could become significant in the legal and political battles arising from the flood-control scandal. But the recantations do not, by themselves, establish that the original allegations were fabricated, nor do they automatically resolve the broader corruption allegations surrounding flood-control projects.

What they do establish is that the credibility of the witnesses themselves is now under serious scrutiny.

And with four of the 18 reportedly backing away from their earlier accounts, the “Maleta Boys” story has entered a potentially decisive new chapter.