Erwin Tulfo on Orly Guteza recantation: Maybe he felt guilty

Senator Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, welcomed Thursday the recantation of Orly Guteza, saying he must have felt guilty after allegedly spewing lies in his testimony.

"Nu'ng sumalang po 'yan, puro kasinungalingan ang pinagsasabi niyan. Kung sinu-sino ang pinagtuturo. Kaya siguro baka nakunsensya," Tulfo said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(When he appeared before the panel, he was saying nothing but lies and pointing fingers at all sorts of people. So perhaps he felt guilty.)

"Pati 'yung Guteza na 'yan, nu'ng unang salang niya pa lang tapos biglang nawala. Kino-contact namin. Tama lang po 'yan. Kako ako ay nagpapasalamat naman at nahimasmasan sila, nagsabi sila ng totoo," he added.

(Even that Guteza; he appeared and then suddenly disappeared. We were contacting him. This is only right. I am grateful that they came to their senses and told the truth.)

To recall, Guteza was a surprise witness who previously claimed that he personally delivered cash to the residences of former lawmaker Zaldy Co and former speaker Martin Romualdez.

Following his testimony, Guteza disappeared from public eye.

He later executed a new affidavit, claiming that Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former congressman Mike Defensor tapped him to make up accusations against Romualdez in exchange for money and scholarships for his children.

Aside from Guteza, four other ex-security aides of Co recanted their statements tagging Romualdez and other personalities in the flood control scam.

When asked whether authorities will file perjury raps against Guteza, Tulfo said the Senate will leave it up to the Office of the Ombudsman.

"Hindi na po kami makikiaalam diyan para mas mabilis po kasi kung mag-iimbestiga pa po ang blue ribbon [committee]… it will take time. Tapos ipapasa namin and may findings kami na guilty, eh gan'un din po," he said.

(We will no longer intervene in that matter so that the process can move faster because if the blue ribbon committee also conducts an investigation, it will take time. Then we would submit it and have findings that they were guilty, and it would be the same thing.) — VDV, GMA News