Ex-security aide tells on Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez

A man who identified himself as a former security consultant for Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co claimed Thursday that he personally delivered luggage of money to the residences of Co and former speaker Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. 

Senator Rodante Marcoleta presented Orly Regala Guteza during the ongoing hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, saying that the latter reached out to him as he wanted to testify against the congressmen.  

Guteza said that he is a former member of the Philippine Marines and was hired as a security aide of Co in December 2024. 

“Tuwing may duty at detailed ako sa ‘basura,’ pumupunta kami sa 28 Ladybug corner Dragonfly, Valle Verde 6, Pasig City. Tagabuhat lang ako ng maleta ng basura. Ang ibig sabihin ng basura ay maleta na may lamang pera,” he said. 

(Whenever I'm on duty and detailed in the so-called ‘garbage,' we go to 28 Ladybug corner Dragonfly, Valle Verde 6, Pasig City. I'm just a carrier of luggage. ‘Garbage’ means a luggage that has money in it.) 

“Ang bawat maleta ay may lamang humigit kumulang P48 million. Ang bawat maleta ay may Post-it na nakadikit na nakasaad kung magkano ang laman ng bawat maleta,” he added. 

(Each luggage contains about P48 million. Each luggage has a Post-it attached to it which indicates how much money was inside.) 

Romualdez denial

As he denied the allegations, Romualdez said the statement of the witness was "flawed."  

"That's impossible. That property has been under renovation since January 2024 and was unoccupied except for construction workers. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus —false in one thing, false in everything," he said about the cash deliveries to his McKinley home.

"This is clearly political and the product of coaching. I will not allow these perjurious statements to pass unchallenged. Hindi ko ito palalampasin (I will not let this pass)," he added.

Deliveries

Guteza said that they delivered the luggage of money to the house of Co in Pasig City, which were being received by the congressman’s executive assistants identified as John Paul Estrada and Mark Tecsay. Once the money is counted, it is then supposedly transferred to Co’s unit in Horizon Residences in Taguig City. 

He also claimed that Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, a former representative of the ACT-CIS party-list, delivered 46 suitcases of money to Co’s residence. 

“Bago ibaba ang nasabing basura, ito ay bawas na. Halimbawa, nag-akyat kami ng 46 maleta, ibababa lang namin ay 35 maleta para i-deliver sa mga bahay ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa 42 Mckinley Street, Taguig. Ang 11 maleta ay naiwan sa taas sa 56th floor Horizon Residences,” Guteza said. 

(Some of the luggage are already taken before they are brought down. For example, we brought 46 suitcases, only 35 will be delivered to the house of House Speaker Martin Romualdez at 42 Mckinley Street, Taguig. The remaining 11 suitcases would be left on the 56th floor Horizon Residences.) 

“Humigit kumulang tatlong beses ako mismo ang nag-deliver ng basura sa bahay ni Congressman Zaldy Co sa Horizon Residences at sa mga bahay ni Speaker Romualdez sa 42 Mckinley Street, Taguig,” he added. 

(I personally delivered the luggage more than three times to the house of Congressman Zaldy Co in Horizon Residences and the house of Speaker Romualdez at 42 Mckinley Street, Taguig.) 

Guteza said he delivered more luggage to the house of Romualdez than Co’s due to the rotation of the security details. 

He also expressed hope to be included in the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice (DOJ) due to fear for his life.  

Thrice a week?

Guteza further admitted, upon the questioning of Marcoleta, that he had been delivering money to the residences of Romualdez and Co three times a week since December 2024 until he resigned in August this year. 

Marcoleta further asked Guteza which areas of residence of Romualdez was he delivering the suitcases to. 

“‘Yung 42 [Mckinley Street] sa Forbes Park…meron pa ‘yung bago, nung nakaraan doon sa dating bahay ni Michael Yang…[at] Aguado diyan sa Malacañang,” Guteza answered. 

(I delivered to 42 [Mckinley Street] in Forbes Park, and just recently to the former house of Michael Yang and to Aguado in Malacañang.)

Marcoleta then asked if he was implying that Romualdez bought the former house of Yang, who is a key figure in the investigations into the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 

“Allegedly, Your Honor…Kasi doon na nagde-deliver ang tropa nung hindi na nagde-deliver sa 42 (we started delivering money there when we stopped delivering in Forbes Park),” Guteza said. 

Earlier on Thursday, former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo tagged Co, as well as Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, former senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, amid the investigation into anomalous and ghost flood control projects.

During the Senate panel’s hearing on Tuesday, dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara also said that he worked with Bernardo in giving flood control kickbacks for Co, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, Revilla, and former Caloocan representative Mitch Cajayon.

Former Bulacan 1st assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez likewise claimed that he delivered an estimated P1 billion worth of money placed in suitcases to a staffer of Co.

Denial

Co earlier denied the previous allegations which he described as “false and baseless.” 

“I reserve my right to respond to these allegations at the proper time before the proper forum," the congressman said.

Romualdez has also denied his alleged links to kickbacks from flood control projects.

"If anyone invoked my name, they did so without my knowledge and without my consent. At kung ginawa nila iyon para kumita, sila ang mandaraya at sila ang dapat managot. And I say this with all honesty: I have never, and I will never, accept a bribe from anybody," he said.

In a statement Thursday, Yap denied allegations that he delivered suitcases of money to Co.

“I categorically deny any involvement in the acts being alleged. I have never accepted, nor authorized, the delivery of money in connection with flood control projects. These claims are untrue,” Yap said.

 “I was disheartened to hear my name mentioned in today’s Senate hearing on alleged irregularities in flood control projects. To be implicated in such matters is painful, not only for myself,  but also for the people I have pledged to serve with integrity,” he added.

GMA Integrated News also reached out to other people mentioned by Guteza and will publish their comment once available.—AOL, GMA Integrated News