Malacañang on Thursday dismissed fresh allegations of bribery involving President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., branding them as politically motivated and lacking credibility.

The reaction came after former lawmaker Mike Defensor said another batch of former soldiers was prepared to testify on alleged bribery claims supposedly involving billions of pesos.

Defensor also claimed efforts were underway to prevent them from speaking out.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro questioned Defensor’s motives.

“Mike Defensor, the known wonder boy. Marami sa kaniyang talumpati ang naghihikayat sa ating mga kababayan na tanggalin sa puwesto ang ating Pangulo. Alam na natin ang motibo (Many of his speeches encourage our countrymen to remove our President from office. We already know the motive),” Castro said.

She also compared the situation to past controversies involving allegedly coerced testimonies.

“Mike Defensor again, Ador Mawanay 2.0 – kilala ang salitang ‘Mawanay’ dahil sa pamimilit diumano sa kanya na gumawa ng pekeng salaysay, (Mike Defensor again, Ador Mawanay 2.0 – the word ‘Mawanay’ is known because of the alleged pressure on him to make fake statements),” she added.

Ador Mawanay, whose real name is Antonio Luis Marquez, made headlines in 2001 when he falsely accused then-Senator Panfilo Lacson of maintaining hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts — a claim he later retracted.

The statement follows earlier claims by lawyer Levi Baligod and 18 individuals identifying themselves as former Marines, who alleged they delivered PHP805 billion to President Marcos, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and former lawmaker Zaldy Co.

Malacañang previously dismissed these accusations as “lousy scriptwriting.”

Asked whether the new allegations could be an attempt to divert attention from issues involving the International Criminal Court (ICC), Castro said this angle is possible.

“Malamang, kung anuman ang motibo nila, malamang na maaaring i-discredit at tanggalan ng kredibilidad at integridad ang ICC but mas concerned po tayo sa mga kasinungalingan na kanilang ibinabato sa ating Pangulo (It is likely that, whatever their motives, they can discredit and strip the ICC of its credibility and integrity, but we are more concerned about the lies they are hurling at our President),” she said. (PNA)