Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday, Sept. 26, called for a full record check and background investigation (RCBI) on Orly Regala Guteza, a surprise witness whose explosive testimony at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last Thursday raised serious concerns.
Lacson, chairman of the Blue Ribbon panel, noted that Guteza—who claims to be a former Marine and ex-security consultant of Rep. Elizaldy Co—was presented before the committee on Thursday, Sept. 25, without even the courtesy of notice.
In his testimony, Guteza claimed that he delivered suitcases of cash, which he codenamed “basura,” to the homes of Co and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Romualdez has denied the allegations.
Further complicating matters, Lacson said, was that the lawyer whose signature and notarial details appeared in Guteza’s affidavit denied notarizing or preparing the document.
“Without the courtesy of notice—even to the committee chairman—a totally surprise witness in yesterday’s Blue Ribbon hearing, a complete record check and background investigation on Orly Regala Guteza is in order, owing to the gravity and seriousness of his testimony yesterday,” Lacson said in a post on X.
It was Sen. Rodante Marcoleta who presented Guteza at the hearing. Marcoleta claimed Guteza was referred to him by former Rep. Michael Defensor.
Later, Atty. Petchie Rose Espera issued a statement denying that she notarized, signed, or participated in the preparation of Guteza’s affidavit.
She claimed that the signature and notarial details attributed to her were “falsified and unauthorized.”
Lacson also said he sees no issue with the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inviting Co to appear in its investigation into anomalous flood control projects.
Co may choose to voluntarily appear, since inter-parliamentary courtesy is not accorded to individual members of the House but to the institution they represent, Lacson explained.
“The inter-parliamentary courtesy tradition is not accorded to individual members of either house—it is accorded to the institution,” he said. (Hannah Torregoza)
