Jamaine Punzalan

Ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co's alleged former bodyguard and driver Orly Guteza answers questions during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 25, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE PROBE- FLOOD CONTROL ANOMALIES

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178719242834420250925-senate-flood-control-probe-orly-guteza-JC3320.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ex-lawmaker Zaldy Co&#x27;s alleged former bodyguard and driver Orly Guteza answers questions during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 25, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Thursday the reported recantation of witnesses as a “pressure tactic” after Orly Guteza withdrew his testimony about alleged cash deliveries to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><p>The graft-busting body said it has 28 witnesses to provide direct and material knowledge of transactions being investigated in the cases involving Romualdez.</p><p>“Hindi bago ang recantation sa mga high-profile case. Classic pressure tactic ito,” the Ombudsman said in a statement on Thursday.</p><p>The Ombudsman said their probe would continue despite the reported recantation.</p><p>“Hindi hihinto ang paghahanap sa katotohanan kahit ayaw pang magsalita ninuman,” it said.</p><p>“Hindi umiikot ang buong imbestigasyon sa iisa o kahit sa iilang witnesses,” it added.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:441px;height:668px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2090256670794580277&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-08-19T09%3A18%3A57.592563%3Ad8270c4a-49b0-434c-9d58-803b78d9f3cc%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=f90d7e803ec1e51cb361b177a0acce9625e578db&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2090256670794580277"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>The Ombudsman said the 28 witnesses are already undergoing legal processes and are prepared to provide information on the transactions under investigation.</p><p>It added that the witnesses include people who are still active in service. </p><p>The agency said that anyone who attempts to obstruct or interfere with its proceedings could face legal consequences.</p><p>“Sinuman ang mangahas humadlang, mangbara o manggulo sa proceedings ng Ombudsman ay haharap sa buong bigat ng batas,” the graft-busting body said.</p><p>“Sa lahat ng nabigyan na o mabibigyan pa ng legal process, hindi choice ang pakikipagtulungan. Obligasyon ‘yan sa batas,” it added. </p><p>Four ex-bodyguards of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co also previously recanted their testimonies pertaining to alleged cash deliveries to Romualdez and several other lawmakers.</p><p>The Ombudsman said the four witnesses have yet to submit their alleged recantations to the agency, but the documents were attached to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s counter-affidavit.</p><p>Romualdez earlier asked the Ombudsman for additional time to file his supplemental counter-affidavit.</p><p>His lawyer, Atty. Ade Fajardo, said they would attach to the supplemental counter-affidavit the sworn statements of 25 other former drivers and security aides of former lawmaker Zaldy Co.</p><p>“Isasama na rin natin dyan ang napabalitang pagbaliktad ni Mr. Orly Guteza,” Fajardo said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5qxpTauzkQk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Thursday the recantation of witnesses as a “pressure tactic” after Orly Guteza reportedly recanted his testimony on his alleged cash deliveries to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p>

The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Thursday the recantation of witnesses as a “pressure tactic” after Orly Guteza reportedly recanted his testimony on his alleged cash deliveries to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Ombudsman says 28 witnesses to testify in Romualdez probe despite Guteza’s reported recantation

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Ombudsman says 28 witnesses to testify in Romualdez probe despite Guteza’s reported recantation

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 20, 2026 10:24 AM PHT

|

Updated August 20, 2026 11:13 AM PHT

Read More:

Guteza

Ombudsman

Romualdez

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Zaldy Co

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