By Thea Tan

Naisip ko lang ‘to kanina while driving. I asked the person I was with kung magkano kasya sa duffle bag. Ilang millions ba ang kasya dyan with the highest peso denomination?

So, why not use geometry to show just how physically impossible it is for this amount of cash to fit inside a typical duffle bag?

Step 1: Let’s calculate the volume of P150 million in cash.

Let’s assume the money is in P1,000 bills, which is the highest bill.

P150 million / P1,000 = 150,000 pieces of P1,000 bills.
Each bill has dimensions of approximately:

Length: 160 mm
Width: 66 mm
Thickness: 0.1 mm

So, the volume of one bill is:

160 mm × 66 mm × 0.1 mm = 1 ,056 cubic milliliters

Now, let’s calculate the total volume of 150,000 pieces of P1,000 bills:

150 ,000 × 1 056 cubic milliliters = 158,400,000 cubic milliliters

In liters, this is: 158.4 liters

158,400,000 cubic mm =158.4liters

So, the total volume of the cash would be 158.4 liters. This is the amount of space the bills alone would occupy.

---

Step 2: How Big is a Duffle Bag?

Now, let’s compare this to the size of a typical duffle bag.

Standard duffle bags (medium-sized) generally hold around 50 to 80 liters of volume. Even larger bags designed for travel may have a capacity of about 100 liters.

No typical duffle bag is designed to hold 158.4 liters. In fact, even the largest bags in common use would fall short by over 50 liters!

---

Step 3: The Impossibility of Fitting P150 Million in One Duffle Bag

Let’s consider:

158.4 liters of cash would require a massive bag—not something you’d find at SM.

To fit 150,000 bills, we’d likely need several large bags, each designed for transporting bulky items like camping gear, not just a simple duffle bag.

A single duffle bag carrying such an amount would have to be either unreasonably large or completely custom-made, which raises more questions than answers.

---

Step 4: What Happens if the Money is in Smaller Denominations?

Let’s briefly consider what would happen if the money was in smaller denominations, such as P500 bills or P100 bills? The volume of the cash would still be staggering:

For P500 bills: The total number of bills would be 300,000, and the overall volume would still be immense and well beyond what a typical duffle bag could carry.

For P100 bills: The total number of bills would reach 1.5 million, which would require an even larger volume.

In all scenarios, the amount of space required would still exceed the capacity of any standard duffle bag.

---

Step 5: Conclusion : Geometry Debunks the Allegation

When we apply simple geometry and basic volume calculations, it becomes clear that the claim of a P150 million bribe being placed inside a single duffle bag is physically impossible.

The total volume of the cash would require a massive amount of space—far more than what any typical duffle bag could provide.

No need for assumptions. Let’s use math and logic. Math alone debunks this. Multiply that by 245 politicians so ilang duffle bags yun? Eh di wow!