THE Office of the Ombudsman belittled the reported recantation of former ‘maleta boy’ Orly Guteza who earlier executed an affidavit accusing former Speaker Martin Romualdez of receiving suitcases containing multi-billion kickbacks from flood and infrastructure projects of the government.
In a statement, the Ombudsman called Guteza’s sudden turnaround as ‘pressure tactic’ which would not affect its ongoing effort to prosecute Romualdez for plunder, graft, bribery and money laundering charges.
Romualdez is being accused of manipulating and pocketing funds intended for flood control projects of the government from 2022 to 20225 amounting to at least P56 billion.
The charges are now undergoing preliminary investigation before the Ombudsman to determine if there is prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to file the case before the Sandiganbayan.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that it still has 28 witnesses who are ready to provide direct and material information pertaining to transactions related to the cases involving the former Speaker.
The Ombudsman said some of these witnesses are still in active service.
‘Recantation is not new in high-profile cases. This is a classic pressure tactive. The investigation does not revolve around a single witnesses or even a handful of witnesses,’ the Ombudsman pointed out.
‘For those who have been or will be subjected to legal process, cooperation is not a choice. It is an obligation under the law. Anyone who will obstruct, impede or interfere with the Ombudsman’s proceedings will face the full force of the law,’ it added.
Aside from Guteza, four former security escorts of former Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol have also recanted their sworn affidavits implicating Romualdez in the illegal cash delivery scheme.
The Ombudsman had threatened to include the four former security escorts in the plunder charge against Romualdez.
‘But for all intents and purposes, the investigators do plan to include them as part of the charge because if they will not become witnesses for the prosecution, then they are merely respondents in a crime where they delivered billions of pesos to the respondents in this case,’ Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano IV earlier said.
The recantations of Guteza and Co’s former security escorts were attached in the counter-affidavit filed by Romualdez before the Ombudsman.