FORMER senator Antonio Trillanes IV announced on Friday that he is withdrawing the charges he filed against four of the 18 men who previously identified themselves as former bodyguards of ex-Representative Zaldy Co.
The decision follows the four men’s recantation of their earlier sworn statements accusing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Co, and other personalities of receiving suitcases of cash. Trillanes said he had instructed his legal counsel to formally withdraw the cases against the four individuals.
Trillanes, a former Navy officer, expressed sympathy for the men, stating that they appeared to have been exploited by political forces taking advantage of their difficult circumstances. “As a former soldier, I sympathize with what they are going through — being without livelihood, they were taken advantage of by people with political motives,” he said. He added that he hopes the four have learned from the experience and that their remaining colleagues will also see the truth behind the allegations.
According to reports, the four men executed new affidavits retracting their earlier claims, admitting they had been promised financial assistance in exchange for signing the original joint statement. The original allegations surfaced in February 2026, when the group of 18 — including former Marines — came forward with affidavits presented by lawyer Levi Baligod. They had also accused Trillanes himself of bribing International Criminal Court investigators.
When asked for comment, the Department of Justice noted that the cases are now within the jurisdiction of the courts. “Any matter relating to the proceedings, whether substantive or procedural, is now for the courts to determine. We therefore cannot comment further,” the DOJ stated. The status of the cases involving the remaining 14 individuals who did not recant remains unchanged.
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