February 26, 2026 – Manila, Philippines
Atty. Levi Baligod emphasized that he personally reviewed the affidavits of retired soldiers he recently accompanied to a press conference.
The press briefing featured individuals claiming to be former military personnel who alleged that bribes had been distributed from the camp of former Representative Zaldy Co to other politicians and representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the investigation of the previous administration’s war on drugs.
According to Baligod, he examined the affidavits after being introduced to the soldiers last year. These former military personnel had previously served as part of Zaldy Co’s security detail, including retired Marine Sgt. Orly Guteza, who had previously testified before a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
When asked why he chose to make the affidavits public, Baligod explained that he had been closely observing the executive and legislative branches and believed that relying on these institutions would be difficult. He added that it was therefore appropriate to release the contents of the affidavits to the public, especially given the apparent lack of interest from lawmakers regarding the information.
Despite going public, Baligod remains determined to submit copies of the affidavits to the Office of the Ombudsman. He also clarified that he did not release any copies himself, despite reports that versions of the affidavits had appeared online.