‘Maleta boy’ paid to retract testimony, witness tells Sandiganbayan

MANILA, Philippines — A purported bagman-turned-witness told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday that a former member of the so-called “Maleta boys” told him he was paid to recant his testimony. 

Rodante Orbillo made the revelation when he took the witness stand before the anti-graft court to testify in the bail hearing of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez stemming from P7.44 billion worth of alleged kickbacks from infrastructure projects delivered by the purported bagmen.

READ: Court told: ‘Maleta’ allegedly sent to Sotto, Quimbo, Trillanes

Orbillo, a retired Marine personnel, was part of the “Maleta boys”, a term referring to the former bodyguards of ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. 

Orbillo disputed the recantation of Benny Bulontate, who said in his latest affidavit that he did not participate in any “maleta” delivery.

“He (Bulontate) recanted because there is something in exchange for his recantation,” Orbillo told the court in Filipino. 

According to Orbillo, Bulontate himself revealed this to him when they met at a Las Piñas City court, which handles their cyber libel case.

“Sabi ko sa kanya, paldo ka na (I told him, you hit a jackpot),” Orbillo said of Bulontate.

Bulontate, however, said the amount he received is just “small” without specifying an exact amount, according to Orbillo.

On Tuesday, witness Christopher Esquivel, also a former personnel of Co, told the Third Division that Bulontate linked him to a former colleague who offered P10 million for each recantation. /mr