Sen. Kiko Pangilinan called the bluff of alleged former Marines who claimed that he and his wife, actress Sharon Cuneta, received suitcases containing cash in connection with the flood control scandal.
The senator responded on Tuesday, June 16, to allegations linking him and his wife to the alleged scam surrounding flood control projects.
During a press conference led by former Rep. Mike Defensor, the alleged former Marines, who claimed to have served as “bagmen” for former Rep. Zaldy Co, said that Co’s supposed employees had met with the couple.
Pangilinan denied the allegations and vowed to file cases against those behind the claims, especially after they dragged his wife into the issue.
“Puro pasaring. Puro alegasyon. Puro palabas. Gusto lang mantsahan ang naiulat na pag-upo ko bilang chairperson ng Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee na mag-iimbestiga sa flood-control scam,” the senator said in a statement.
“Wala ni katiting na basehan ang mga tangkang pagdungis sa aking pagkatao ng mga nagpa-presscon tungkol sa mga maletang kaugnay sa bilyon-bilyong pisong ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan,” he added.
“At dahil dinamay niyo pa ang pamilya ko, makakatikim kayo ng hindi pasaring, alegasyon, o palabas na kaso sa korte. Pananagutan ninyo ang paninirang ginagawa niyo,” Pangilinan continued.
The senator also posted a video that he said showed where he and Sharon were at the time.
The clip showed him attending a forum with farmers and meeting with employees of the provincial capital.
Sharon also denied the allegations and called the alleged former Marines “liars.”
“MGA SINUNGAAAALING!!!!!!! SOBRA TALAGA KAYO!!!!! I vlogged about this visit my family and I made to Marawi to thank the Governor, Mayor, and other officials and their families for their support for Kiko,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“Talaga ba, magbibigay kayo ng maleta sa amin, SA MARAWI PA???!!! Ang kakapal ng mukha ninyo talaga sukdulan!!!” the actress added.
“Ito, nagte-taping pa ako ngayon — nagbabanat pa rin ng buto at lumalaban ng patas, dahil lahat ng meron kami, PINAGHIHIRAPAN NAMIN!!! Hindi kami tulad ninyong mga sinungaling!!!” Sharon continued.
“Kaya sabi nga nila, KAPATID NG SINUNGALING ANG MAGNANAKAW!!! Bahala na ang PANGINOONG Diyos sa inyo. ALAM NIYA KUNG SINO ANG TOTOONG SUMUSUNOD AT SUMASAMBA SA KANYA!!! WALA KAYONG KWENTANG TAO!!!” she added.
The alleged former Marines claimed that Pangilinan and his wife received kickbacks from flood control projects.
The alleged Marines have previously been called out over questionable claims. Sen. Tito Sotto pointed to timeline mismatch, while several Filipinos online noted that the iPhone 16e, which the alleged ex-Marines claimed they received as a bribe in 2024, was not released until 2025.
The Senate is currently investigating the alleged flood control scam, which supposedly involved lawmakers and other individuals receiving kickbacks from flood control projects.
The scheme was first brought to public attention President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2025.