For many, the sudden recantation of former security aide Orly Guteza of his allegations of the billions allegedly delivered to high government officials reeks of dirty money.
Political insiders now believe that it was the same dirty hands who had reaped in the huge profits – P56 billion in total, according to the Office of the Ombudsman – from the alleged flood control kickback scheme are now behind the intense pressure on Guteza and other former Marines who had exposed the so-called "maleta scheme" to turn around.
Guteza, a retired Marine and former security aide of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, recanted his earlier testimony that he delivered suitcases containing cash to former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez and other high government officials in connection with the flood-control scam.
In an affidavit dated August 13, Guteza said he had no personal knowledge of the alleged cash deliveries and accused Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former lawmaker Mike Defensor of allegedly pressuring him to make the claims.
The recantation followed after four of the ex-Marines also suddenly withdrew their statements implicating Romualdez in the maleta scheme.
The former Speaker now faces charges of plunder, direct and indirect bribery, graft and money laundering in connection with the flood-control scandal.
Intense pressure
But to political insiders who have been following the story, Guteza's sudden turnaround is not so much as a surprise.
It's not a matter of "if," but "when."
“Hindi na kagulat-gulat na lumabas ito,” was how Atty. Mike Operario put it in a social media vlog.
Earlier this year, Defensor himself has alleged that there was already intense pressure on Guteza and other former security aides to recant their testimonies against Romualdez and other accused officials.
If there is one silver lining in this case, Operario also noted, is that Guteza’s sudden recantation has also put to rest speculations regarding his whereabouts after his testimony in the Senate regarding the maleta scheme.
But it also raises fears not only for his safety but also of the integrity of the testimony brought forward against Romualdez and others accused.
Undue influence
Speaking of which, there was no doubt in the minds of some observers where the pressure came from.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla certainly isn’t subtle about who may have exerted undue influence on Guteza and others to walk back their accusations.
“It is former Speaker Romualdez. Siyempre, sino pa ba ang makikinabang pag nagrecant ‘yan?” Remulla was quoted as saying on August 7, after the initial recantations of the four ex-Marines.
Romualdez’s camp has denied the Ombudsman’s allegations of undue influence in Guteza’s and the other former Marines’ recantations.
“This shows how extremely prejudiced he [Remulla] is against me," the representative claimed in a social media post.
Case will go on?
On the other hand, it's clear that the recantation of Guteza and the other former security aides of Co will not affect the case against Romualdez, in theory.
The Office of the Ombudsman has already indicated that the case against Romualdez can move forward with or without the ex-Marines' testimony, given other collected evidence that ties the solon with the billions in stolen funds in the flood-control scheme.
And let us not forget that the former House Speaker has clearly been chosen as the ideal scapegoat, the sacrificial lamb to get his cousin, the President, off the hook in the flood-control scam.
Romualdez clearly couldn’t understand why he has been singled out in the billions of public funds lost in the flood-control anomaly. And with good reason.
After all, he’s not the only legislator or government official who is believed to have made a windfall from ghost and substandard flood-control projects.
But it also appears that the solon is still willing to exercise whatever remaining influence he still has to get himself off the hook.
Given the Ombudsman’s suspicions, the question surrounding Guteza’s recantation of his accusations against Romualdez should not be “Why?” but “How much?”
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