Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, cast doubt on the claims made by 18 former military personnel regarding alleged P805 billion kickbacks linked to former Congressman Zaldy Co in a privilege speech delivered Tuesday.

Lacson addressed criticisms for not immediately inviting the ex-marines to testify before the Senate, stressing that while “every imputation of a crime warrants our attention, none deserves our blind deference.”

He emphasized that the right to be heard is not a “license to mislead,” and that their statements must be evaluated for credibility, logic, and factual feasibility.

Key arguments raised by Lacson:

Physical Impossibility: Based on earlier computations, 805 billion pesos in cash would weigh roughly 805 metric tons, not including 13,400 suitcases needed to transport it. Processing 500 million pesos per day would take over four years of continuous work. “Even if they do it every single day of the year, it would take 4.4 years to complete the 800 million peso deliveries,” Lacson said

Logistical Nightmare: He questioned how such massive sums could be collected, moved, and repacked by a handful of personnel, highlighting the implausibility of daily handling and distribution of this scale.

Disproportionate Share of Cash: Citing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Lacson noted that in 2024, total physical cash in circulation was 2.7 trillion pesos. The alleged 805 billion pesos would account for around 15% of all physical cash in the country, making the claims highly improbable.

Questionable Testimony Consistency: Lacson raised concerns that, if the 18 ex-marines’ statements were accepted, former Congressman Zaldy Co would have received virtually no kickbacks himself. “Was he just a messenger? ” he asked, highlighting inconsistencies in the narrative.

He stressed that his goal is not to dismiss the allegations outright but to ensure that any testimonies presented before the Senate meet standards of logic, feasibility, and factual accuracy.