Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said they need to know the address of former Marine Orly Regala Guteza so that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) can serve him a subpoena.
Guteza is the former security aide of Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. He was introduced before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last week by Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
Marcoleta said former Quezon City Third District Rep. Michael Defensor introduced him to Guteza.
In his affidavit, Guteza tagged former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the flood control controversy, saying he delivered several suitcases containing ‘trash,’ their code for cash, to the houses of both Co and Romualdez.
Remulla said the last time he talked with Guteza was in the Senate, where the secretary was able to get a copy of the former Marine’s affidavit, a part of which stated that he wanted to enter the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).
The appointment was scheduled for Guteza to be at the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Friday for an interview, but he failed to appear.
‘But here’s the thing: I talked with him to come here for that purpose. We’re going to ask for his address so we will have the NBI serve a subpoena, just to make everything crystal clear, right?’ Remulla asked.
However, since then, Remulla had no more communication with the ex-Marine.
‘Nothing,’ Remulla said when asked if he heard of Guteza again after the latter was a no-show at their supposed meeting last Friday.
‘We have no contact.So we are just hoping he is okay and that he can shed light on his affidavit,’ the secretary said.
Remulla said the people who presented Guteza in the Senate should stand by his testimony. ‘They shouldn’t let him go. Also, they should be responsible for him because a witness like that-it’s scary if they don’t bring him out again,’ he said. /apl