Sen. Rodante Marcoleta said retired Marine MSgt. Orly Guteza’s withdrawal of his testimony against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez raises questions about the pressure surrounding witnesses in the flood-control corruption investigation.
Marcoleta argued that fear for Guteza’s life, freedom, and family may have driven him to reverse his earlier statements, saying the recantation should not automatically erase the details he previously provided before investigators.
“It is more believable that the threats to the life and/or liberty of his wife and children forced Guteza to sign an outrageous statement,” Marcoleta said.
Guteza previously testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in 2025 about cash deliveries connected to the flood-control controversy involving Romualdez. He later withdrew his statements, claiming he had no personal knowledge of the accusations and that he was pressured into making his earlier testimony.
Marcoleta questioned the timing and content of Guteza’s recantation, saying his original testimony contained specific details that would be difficult to fabricate within a short period.
“It is improbable for myself and Rep. Defensor to concoct a detailed account of the massive transport of money in luggage within one hour in a restaurant,” Marcoleta said.
The senator maintained that Guteza’s earlier testimony carried more weight because it contained a detailed account, while the recantation only served as a general denial of his previous claims.
“It was all valor when he exposed the plunder of the people’s money despite the risk to his personal safety and freedom,” Marcoleta said.
The controversy over Guteza’s withdrawal has become a key issue in the investigation, with the Office of the Ombudsman emphasizing that witness reversals do not automatically remove previously submitted affidavits, testimonies, and other evidence gathered during the probe. The agency has maintained that the case does not depend on a single witness, with other testimonies and evidence remaining part of the investigation.
Four former bodyguards of Co earlier retracted claims that they delivered suitcases of cash to Romualdez and other officials. Their lawyer, Atty. Levito Baligod, claimed the witnesses were offered at least ₱5 million each to withdraw their statements, while former Marine George Villalon Jr. said the offers later increased to ₱20 million to ₱25 million as the investigation intensified.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla previously said it was Romualdez’s camp that orchestrated the reversals, while Malacañang called for accountability against those behind the attempts to influence testimonies.
Romualdez is facing complaints before the Ombudsman involving plunder, direct and indirect bribery, violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and money laundering connected to a ₱56-billion flood-control controversy. Investigators are examining claims involving the diversion and misuse of public funds from 2022 to 2025.
The Ombudsman has described the case as the “grandest case” linked to the flood-control scandal and has pointed to Romualdez as the mastermind behind the scheme.
Marcoleta said the focus should remain on pursuing accountability and recovering funds believed to have been lost from government projects.
“Rather than feel dismay and defeat by the situation of Guteza, and the millions of our countrymen who suffer repression for seeking accountability and justice, we must strengthen our resolve not only to identify those who robbed the people’s money without remorse but also to recover every bit of it,” Marcoleta said.
Political pressure on Romualdez has been escalating, with President Bongbong Marcos using his latest SONA to announce that multiple cases against the disgraced former Speaker are nearing filing—and making it clear that family ties will not shield anyone from accountability. The scandal has ignited outrage across all party lines, with lawmakers demanding that those behind flood‑control corruption face prosecution and imprisonment.
PGMN has attempted to remain courageous and defiant in the face of the over 80 counts/lawsuits Romualdez has filed, fully aware that the whole thing is the former Speaker’s desperate attempt to silence the organization as he currently finds himself in the most vulnerable position of his life. Since declaring war against him two months ago, PGMN has published over 1,600 posts about Romualdez—clearly and honestly exposing him precisely for what he is: the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
The barrage has since generated approximately 200 million views across all platforms, with 176 million views from MR content and 16 million views from CJ, FM, and Rowena episodes and trailers, making it the most viral anti-corruption campaign against a single person in the history of Philippine social media.
