DOJ urged to probe Senate witness in flood control scam

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors are facing calls to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute a Senate witness in the flood control scam who is accused of forging the signature of a notary public.

House public accounts panel chair and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon emphasized the need for decisive action to prevent political forgery from going unpunished.

“The DOJ must act decisively so that political forgery never again finds refuge in impunity. They should immediately implement the court’s directive and prosecute all those responsible for this calculated falsification,” Ridon stated, referring to purported witness Orly Regala Guteza. The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) previously cleared notary public Petchie Rose Espera, whose notarial details were “falsified,” and directed the DOJ to investigate Guteza and all others involved in using or circulating the forged document.

Ridon hailed the court ruling as a “decisive vindication of fact over fiction,” asserting that it exposes how falsehoods were deliberately manufactured to mislead official inquiries and distort public discourse. He emphasized the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.

Manila RTC Judge Carolina Icasiano-Sison, in an Oct. 24 ruling, stated that Guteza failed to refute the presumption that he authored the forged notarization of the sworn affidavit. The ruling has intensified calls for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those involved in the alleged forgery.