The Office of the Ombudsman declared Thursday that the recantation of retired Marine personnel Orly Guteza will not hinder its ongoing investigation into the alleged flood control kickback scheme involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, emphasizing that 28 other witnesses remain ready to provide direct testimony.
The anti-graft body stressed that its case does not depend on any single witness and that investigators have assembled evidence from multiple sources regarding the charges against Romualdez and other co-respondents.
“The Office of the Ombudsman is informing [the public] that it has 28 witnesses ready to provide direct and material knowledge regarding the transactions being investigated in the case involving former Speaker Martin Romualdez,” the agency stated.
According to the Ombudsman, the 28 witnesses are active uniformed personnel who are currently participating in official legal proceedings.
The agency’s statement follows Guteza’s execution of an affidavit retracting his prior claims that he personally delivered cash-filled suitcases to Romualdez’s residence. Guteza, a former security detail for ex-Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, also accused Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former Rep. Mike Defensor of conspiring to organize and promote the allegations.
Dismissing the development, the anti-graft body noted that reversals by key witnesses are common in high-profile corruption cases and described the move as a pressure tactic.
“Recantations in high-profile cases are nothing new,” the anti-graft body said in Filipino. “This is a classic pressure tactic.”
The office also issued a stern warning to individuals involved in the case against attempting to interfere with the proceedings.
“For everyone who has been, or will be, undergoing legal process, cooperation is not a choice. It is an obligation under the law. Anyone who dares to obstruct, interfere with, or disrupt the Ombudsman’s proceedings will face the full force of the law,” it stated.
Reaffirming its commitment to the case, the Ombudsman added, “the search for the truth will not stop, even if some people are still unwilling to speak.”
Ombudsman investigators previously filed a supplemental complaint-affidavit on July 20 charging Romualdez, Co, and several co-accused with plunder, direct bribery, graft and corruption and money laundering.
Investigators allege that Romualdez and Co executed “concerted and coordinated acts” to unlawfully accumulate approximately P56 billion in ill-gotten wealth between 2022 and 2025. The scheme allegedly involved delivering massive cash payments in luggage, according to initial testimonies from Guteza and other witnesses.
While three individuals known as the “maleta boys” have also recanted their earlier statements, the Ombudsman maintained that the withdrawals will not stop its inquiry into the alleged multi-billion-peso scheme.