MANILA — Former congressman Mike Defensor on Friday defended the 18 individuals claiming to be former soldiers and Marines, rejecting allegations that they were coached by the camp of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in their testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Defensor said the witnesses merely recounted what they personally saw and experienced during the proceedings related to alleged delivery of suitcases of cash linked to flood control projects.

“Ang mga Marino, ang mga sundalo, nagsasabi lang noong kanilang nakita, noong kanilang ginawa. Kung anong tanong sa kanila ng komite o korte later on, ‘yun lang din nasasabi nila,” ani Defensor.

He also said there were attempts to prevent the former soldiers from revealing what they knew publicly.

Defensor dismissed claims that the witnesses changed their statements, were being used for political purposes, or were aligned with the Duterte family.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon hearings, the former soldiers accused several officials and lawmakers of allegedly receiving kickbacks from flood control projects, including Vicente Sotto III, Erwin Tulfo, and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

They also implicated several House members, including former Speaker Martin Romualdez, ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, and former congresswoman France Castro, all of whom have denied the allegations.

Tulfo, however, questioned why Senators Loren Legarda and Mark Villar were no longer mentioned in the latest testimony, despite being included in earlier sworn statements.

“Bakit ‘di binanggit?”

When asked about the omission of Legarda and Villar from the alleged list of recipients of suitcases of money, Defensor responded:

“Ito po ay katotohanan na sinabi ng mga sundalo. Kunwari ngayon, tinatanong niyo ako, kung ano itanong niyo sa akin, ‘yun ang sasagutin ko. So hindi naman ibig sabihin may tinatago ako. Hindi naman ibig sabihin may ayaw akong palabasin.”

Defensor also denied allegations that he pressured lawmakers to support impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., following claims by Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez that he was approached on the matter.

He said his engagement with the former soldiers stemmed from support for whistleblowers, including Orly Guteza.

Defensor likewise denied harboring any personal grievance against President Marcos, saying he had intended to step away from politics to focus on business.

The Philippine Navy earlier said that four of the 18 individuals who identified themselves as former soldiers were never members of the Philippine Navy or Marine Corps.

It also noted that most of those involved had been discharged from service with penalties, including dishonorable discharge due to various offenses.