A sworn statement bearing the name of Orly Regala Guteza — the retired Marine sergeant who vanished from public view after accusing top officials in the flood-control corruption scandal — has surfaced, alleging that Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former Congressman Mike Defensor manipulated and paid him to deliver his original testimony.
The document, a “Sinumpaang Salaysay” notarized in Pasig City, recounts events on September 24 and 25, 2025, the two days surrounding Guteza’s appearance before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. In it, Guteza states that he was lured to a meeting at a Japanese restaurant near Sofitel Hotel in Pasay, arranged through a contact identified only as “Django,” and that he did not fully grasp what he was being drawn into.
According to the statement, the affidavit he later read before the Senate was not his own account but a document typed on-site by a man named Mark, the son-in-law of Defensor, and edited by Marcoleta himself. The document quotes Marcoleta as telling Guteza, “Sulat lang natin bahala na si Sen. Dante,” and describes the senator allegedly dictating what would be written. It further claims Guteza was promised cash and educational scholarships for his four children, and that fear and pressure led him to sign.
The statement includes a figure of P150 million mentioned in the account of the meeting, and repeats the earlier allegation that suitcases of cash — code-named “trash” — were purportedly delivered to the residences of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. Notably, the document has Guteza stating he had no direct contact with Romualdez and never personally saw him at the cited address.
The claims cannot be independently verified. As of publication, no confirmation has emerged that the affidavit was voluntarily executed by Guteza, and its authenticity has not been established. Guteza has not been seen publicly since his September 25, 2025 testimony, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Marcoleta and Defensor have not issued a response to the specific allegations contained in the document.
The purported recantation adds another layer to a case already clouded by disputed evidence. In October 2025, the Manila Regional Trial Court found that the notary’s signature on Guteza’s original Senate affidavit had been forged, and recommended charges against him. Senator Panfilo Lacson, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, has said the panel would still weigh Guteza’s Senate testimony on its face value even in his absence.
