Palace: ‘Wonder Boy’ Mike Defensor is ‘Ador Mawanay 2.0’
The Palace, through press officer Claire Castro, has strongly criticized Mike Defensor, comparing him to the discredited Senate witness Ador Mawanay. This comes after Defensor warned of new testimonies from former marines regarding an alleged bribery scheme in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which the Palace has dismissed as a "lousy script."
The controversy centers on allegations made by former congressman Mike Defensor and lawyer Levito Baligod regarding a massive bribery scheme in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In late February 2026, Defensor warned that new testimonies from former marines would expose an alleged bribery operation, while Baligod, alongside 18 former Marines (comrades of 'Floodgate' witness Master Sgt. Orly Regala Guteza), accused Marcos of masterminding a P805 billion cash delivery scheme tied to flood control corruption. The allegations claimed suitcases of cash were delivered by Marines to politicians, including International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators probing ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign during their 2023 Philippines visit. Baligod directly implicated Marcos as the 'root cause' of the scheme, claiming actions by Speaker Martin Romualdez and Zaldy Co required presidential orders.
Malacañang Palace responded strongly through press officer Claire Castro, who dismissed the allegations as fabricated and likened Mike Defensor to 'Ador Mawanay 2.0,' referencing the discredited Senate witness from 2001 who made false accusations against Senator Panfilo Lacson before retracting them in 2003. Castro called Defensor the 'Wonder Boy' and described the narrative as a 'poor script' or 'lousy scriptwriting' with motives to destabilize the Marcos administration. The Palace suggested the claims were part of a coordinated effort to discredit the ICC and distract from governance, possibly linked to a GMA-era 'operator' sowing confusion.
The allegations emerged amid broader political tensions, with Duterte's defense team reportedly planning to seek a mistrial over alleged $2 million bribes to ICC investigators, mentioning Defensor's involvement. As of late February 2026, there were no responses yet from President Marcos, Speaker Romualdez, or Zaldy Co to the specific allegations. The Palace indicated it had intelligence suggesting coordinated destabilization efforts and mentioned plans for cyberlibel cases against Baligod, Defensor, and others for online circulation of the claims.
The situation represents a significant political confrontation, with the Palace framing the allegations as part of a broader pattern of opposition attempts to undermine the Marcos administration through sensational but unsubstantiated claims. The comparison to Ador Mawanay, whose testimony was eventually discredited, serves to preemptively undermine the credibility of Defensor's warnings about new witnesses coming forward with first-hand accounts of alleged bribery operations within the government.
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