FORMER speaker Martin Romualdez’s legal team filed a supplemental affidavit on Thursday with the Office of the Ombudsman, formally seeking the dismissal of the plunder complaint filed against him in connection with the flood control scandal.
The document, submitted by Romualdez counsel Atty. Felix Villa, centers on a sworn statement from Orly Guteza — a former Marine and ex-security aide to former lawmaker Zaldy Co — in which Guteza recants his earlier testimony claiming he personally delivered suitcases filled with millions of pesos in cash to Romualdez’s residence. The recantation directly undermines one of the key pieces of testimony previously presented during Senate inquiries into the alleged anomalies.
Romualdez’s spokesperson and legal counsel Abe Fajardo argued that the shifting and inconsistent statements of witnesses, combined with the total absence of forensic or documentary proof, demonstrate that there is no hard evidence linking the former speaker to any wrongdoing.
Fajardo emphasized that the allegations relied heavily on verbal claims that have since been withdrawn, with no financial records, surveillance footage, or physical evidence to corroborate the purported cash deliveries. He maintained that the case should be dismissed outright because the core testimony has been repudiated by the very witness who made it.
Furthermore, the supplemental affidavit includes sworn statements from 25 former drivers and security aides who served under Zaldy Co. These statements collectively dispute the existence of the so-called “Maleta Boys” — a group of 18 former aides allegedly tasked with transporting cash-filled suitcases to Romualdez. The testimonies aim to disprove the entire narrative of cash deliveries, asserting that such operations never took place. With this evidence formally submitted, Romualdez’s legal team is urging the anti-graft body to resolve the complaint in his favor, citing the crumbling credibility of the accusers and the lack of substantiating proof.
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