Sen. Ping Lacson Speaks on Latest Senate Flood Probe Witness Orly Guteza Presented by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta
PING LACSON – The Senate President Pro Tempore who leads the Blue Ribbon Committee confirmed that a background check is done on Orly Guteza, the “totally surprise witness” presented by Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
The latest Senate flood probe dragged more names of government officials in the flood control mess in the country now. It also pinned down Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez with new corruption accusations against them following the appearance of Orly Guteza, a former marine who claimed to be a former staff of Co.
Orly Guteza was presented by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. According to the former marine, he was allegedly one of the staff members of Co who were ordered to deliver the suitcases filled with millions of money to the Ako Bicol Partylist Representative and to the former House Speaker. Presidential cousin and Leyte Cong. Martin Romualdez denied the claim of Guteza whom he called as “Sen. Marcoleta’s witness” in his response.
According to Romualdez, he has allegedly not taken any amount as kickback from the projects of the government. The former House Speaker called the testimony of Orly Guteza as “an outright and complete fabrication” in a supposed desperate attempt to link him to the flood control issue.
Countless different reactions flooded the claims of Guteza. There were those who criticized Romualdez and Co following his testimony while there were also those who raised doubts on the veracity of his claim and his appearance before the Senate. Sen. Ping Lacson who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee admitted that he was also surprised by the former marine’s appearance during the flood probe.
Based on a report on Inquirer, Sen. Ping Lacson said that Orly Guteza, the witness presented by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta during the Senate flood probe, was a “totally surprise witness”. According to the Senator, even he who is the chairman of the committee who handles the investigation was not given the courtesy of notice.
“Without the courtesy of notice even to the committee chairman, a totally surprise witness in yesterday’s Blue Ribbon hearing, a complete record check and background investigation on Orly Regala Guteza is in order owing to the gravity and seriousness of his testimony yesterday,” Lacson stated.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta who presented Orly Guteza during the Senate flood probe has yet to speak on the background check over the “surprise witness”. Based on the report, amid the issue, the lawyer behind the signature and the notarial details in Guteza’s affidavit, Atty. Petchie Rose Espera, denied signing and any participation in the preparation of the document.
According to the lawyer, her signature and other details were allegedly “falsified and unauthorized”. Amid the latest accusations linking him to the flood control probe, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co issued a statement on returning to the Philippines amid the flood control mess.