Ombudsman: 28 witnesses ready to testify after Guteza recantation
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed witness recantations as a "classic pressure tactic," asserting that its ongoing probe into former House Speaker Martin Romualdez does not depend on a single individual's account.
The Ombudsman issued its statement on Thursday, August 20, following the retraction of the testimony of retired Marine Orly Guteza linked to the multibillion-peso flood control corruption investigation.
“Hindi bago ang recantation sa mga high-profile case. Classic pressure tactic ito. Hindi umiikot ang buong imbestigasyon sa iisa o kahit sa iilang witnesses,” the Office of the Ombudsman’s statement read.
(Recantation is nothing new in high-profile cases—it is a classic pressure tactic. The entire investigation does not revolve around a single witness, nor even just a few.)
The anti-graft body revealed that it has 28 other active, uniformed personnel lined up under the legal process to provide direct and material information regarding the transactions of Romualdez under scrutiny.
“Ito'y mga taong nakauniporme at aktibo pa rin sa serbisyo,” the Ombudsman said.
(These are people in uniform who are still in active service.)
The Ombudsman emphasized that cooperation with its proceedings is a strict legal obligation rather than a personal choice.
It warned that anyone who attempts to obstruct, interfere with, or disrupt the investigation will face the full force of the law.
In Guteza’s testimony, he said that he was pressured by detained lawmaker Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former lawmaker Mike Defensor into fabricating allegations against Romualdez.
- Latest
- Trending