Lacson wants background check on Zaldy Co’s ‘ex-security aide’

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday said a full record check and background investigation on “surprise witness” Orly Regala Guteza—the man who claimed to be a former security consultant for Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co—is needed due to the gravity of his allegation. 

Lacson, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, made the remark after Guteza was presented by Senator Rodante Marcoleta during the hearing on Thursday without prior notice. 

“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 (formerly Twitter). 

According to the senator's office, the lawyer whose signature and notarial details appeared in Guteza’s affidavit “denied notarizing or preparing the document.”

Guteza claimed that he personally delivered suitcases of money to the residences of Co and former Speaker Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, noting that each luggage contains about P48 million.

Upon the questioning of Marcoleta, Guteza also said that he had been delivering money to the properties of Co and Romualdez three times a week since December 2024 until he resigned in August this year. 

Romualdez called the statement of the witness as “flawed,” saying that it was “clearly political and the product of coaching.”

To recall, former Bulacan 1st assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez also previously claimed that he delivered an estimated P1 billion worth of money placed in suitcases to a staffer of Co.

The congressman then denied the 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," Co said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News