Dennis Gasgonia

Romualdez says Guteza recantation, affidavits 'cast doubt' on his links to flood control scam

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez said Orly Guteza’s recantation and the affidavits issued by 25 former divers and security aides of fugitive former Rep. Zaldy Co “cast doubt” on the allegations linking him to flood control anomalies. He made the assertion in a 25-page supplemental counter-affidavit filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday. Romualdez said the affidavits of Guteza and 25 others do not only “destory the reliablity and credibility of principal witness accounts”, several of them also claimed they were offered money in exchange of signing a prepared affidavit.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/romualdez-includes-guteza-s-recantation-in-supplemental-counter-affidavit-for-ombudsman-1608">Romualdez includes Guteza&#x27;s recantation in supplemental counter-affidavit for Ombudsman</a></div>For these reasons, the former House Speaker argued that the Ombudsman should “not allow” the complaints against him to proceed. Guteza, a former Marine who claimed he was Co’s bagman, recanted his initial testimony that he delivered suitcases of cash connected to anomalous flood control projects to a property allegedly owned by Romualdez.“He (Guteza) now states, in substance, that this bridge was engineered, and constructed for him—that the accusation was not drawn from his personal knowledge, but was allegedly supplied, prepared, revised, and presented to him for adoption,” Romualdez said in his supplemental counter-affidavit. A copy of which was obtained by ABS-CBN News.“Thirty-two sworn statements now stand in direct, irreconcilable confllict with the narrative complainant SPI (Special Panel of Investigators of the Office of the Ombudsman) seeks  to advance. This is not a matter that can be set aside for resolution at some future trial; it is a defect in the evidence as it stands today,” Romualdez added. “Once that supposed delivery lnk is removed, the same fundamental evidentiary gap identified in my Counter-Affidavit remains: no contractor states that he paid me; no DPWH official states that I demanded or received a kickback; no indentified project is traced to an unlawful payment to me; no financial record traces unlawful proceeds into my assets; and no competent witness establishes my knowing receipt of the alleged cash,” he stressed.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/after-guteza-recants-ombudsman-says-28-others-ready-to-testify-in-romualdez-cases-1024">Ombudsman says 28 witnesses to testify in Romualdez probe despite Guteza’s reported recantation </a> </div>“Faced with these statements that cast doubt on the truth of the allegations in the Complaints, this Honorable Office cannot have basis to satisfy the standard of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction required under Section 3, Rule V of the 2026 Ombudsman Rules of Procedure,” Romualdez said. In the supplemental counter-affidavit, the former House Speaker also responded to the Office of the Ombudsman’s statement that “Recantation Affidavits neither strengthen nor weaken” its case against him.“It bears noting that such principle of disfavor applies only when recantation occurs during trial or after a judgment of conviction, and not beforehand,” Romualdez said.“The Original Guteza Salaysay was already afflicted with substantial and independent defects before Guteza ever recanted it: the supposed notary expressly denied under oath having notarized or signed it; the document was subsequently treated by the Executive Judge of branch 18 of the RTC of Manila as falsified document, and M. Bunagan and Colesio-persons Guteza himself identified as capable of corroborating his narrative-executed sworn statements contradicting him and denying the supposed deliveries,” he added.Romualdez said these prevent Guteza’s initial testimony “from rationally being treated as a stable and independent evidentiary foundation without confronting the circumstances he now describes”.In some affidavits attached to the former House Speaker’s supplemental counter-affidavit, some of Co’s former drivers/secuirty aide claimed they were offered “financial gain” by a lawyer to be part of the so-called “18 Marines”. But they said refused to sign any statement about something they have no personal knowledge of.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/guteza-recants-senate-testimony-says-defensor-and-marcoleta-behind-it-1858">Guteza recants Senate testimony, says Defensor and Marcoleta behind it</a></div>“Equally important, some of the 25 Security Aides likewise state under oath that Atty. Levito Baligod (“Baligod”), the counsel of the 18 Security Aides, and certain members of the 18 Security Aides, had encouraged them to join a group called “18 Kargadors”, “Brave 18”, “18 Ex-Marines”, or “18 Marines” in exchange for financial benefit, notwithstanding their want of personal knowledge of the matters alleged,” Romualdez said.“Ramirez even mentioned that Atty. Baligod brought him and others referred to as “Batch 2” to a… hotel sometime in March or April of 2026, for the signing of an already prepared affidavit, which contained statements, which he did not personally see, know, nor experience, and thus declined to sign the same,” he added.“The Affidavits of Denial and Non-Participation clearly render the allegations of the 18 Security Aides even more incredible and further corroborate the arguments raised in, and the Recantation Affidavits appended to my Counter-Affidavit,” Romualdez noted.In a press conference, House Impeachment Prosecutor and Bicol  Terry Ridon believe the recent retraction of allegations against lawmakers on the flood control controversy shows that they were mere “concoctions” of “political operatives”.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/31/-ito-ba-ang-patas-romualdez-questions-use-of-publicly-discredited-bagmen-s-claims-1458">‘Ito ba ang patas?’: Romualdez questions use of ‘publicly discredited’ bagmen’s claims </a> </div>He urged his colleagues who were implicated, to go after those behind the “slander”.“Malaya po ‘yung lahat ng mga idinawit, una doon sa Guteza affidavit, pangalawa doon po sa mga Maleta Boys affidavits… tingin ko may batayan para habulin po ‘yung mga nagpakana na hindi lang po mga former marines, former soldiers, kundi ‘yung mga pulitiko supposedly involved dito po sa bagay na ito. And I would recommend my colleagues in the House to do so… It is not just the former Marines, Maleta boys, who were involved in this slander, but actual political operatives that talagang ginamit sila para dito sa bagay po na ito,” Ridon said.

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez said Orly Guteza’s recantation and the affidavits issued by 25 former divers and security aides of fugitive former Rep. Zaldy Co “cast doubt” on the allegations linking him to flood control anomalies.

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez said Orly Guteza’s recantation and the affidavits issued by 25 former divers and security aides of fugitive former Rep. Zaldy Co “cast doubt” on the allegations linking him to flood control anomalies.