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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson: Blue Ribbon panel bothered by Guteza's sudden disappearance

Lacson: Blue Ribbon panel bothered by Guteza's sudden disappearance

Published Nov 4, 2025 06:21 pm

At A Glance

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson defended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's actions on retired TSgt. Orly Guteza whom the panel could no longer find after he testified on the alleged involvement of former House Speaker and Leyte First District Representative Martin Romualdez in the anomalous flood control projects.


Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday, November 4 defended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s actions on retired TSgt. Orly Guteza whom the panel could no longer find after he testified on the alleged involvement of former House Speaker and Leyte First District Representative Martin Romualdez in the anomalous flood control projects.

Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (Senate PRIB photo)
Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (Senate PRIB photo)

Lacson noted that out of all the witnesses who testified in the flood control probe, only Guteza was the only one who implicated the former House speaker.

“He implicated former House Speaker Martin Romualdez—he was the only who was able to implicate him—and then he suddenly disappeared,” Lacson said.

“So if the goal is to arrive at a logical conclusion, which is to prosecute and convict former Speaker Romualdez, he should be here,” the senator pointed out.

Lacson pointed this out as he explained the reason why he ordered a review of the close circuit television (CCTV) footages of Guteza’s arrival in the Senate last September 25 before testifying at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control mess.

According to Lacson, Guteza could have chosen to just face the Department of Justice (DOJ), or the Office of the Ombudsman to testify against Romualdez if he could not trust the Senate panel with his testimony.

“Now, what are we going to think, why did you choose to testify before the Blue Ribbon Committee and after testifying once, you suddenly disappeared?” he pointed out.

Lacson said the panel decided to review the CCTV footages of Guteza’s visit to the Senate to find out who accompanied Guteza so they would find a clue as to his whereabouts.

“He (Marcoleta) was claiming I was spying him. But that was not the reason. The reason I reviewed the CCTV was because we were hoping to recognize the person he was with or who accompanied him to the Senate,” he explained.

“So it was incidental when we saw that a staff of Sen. (Rodante) Marcoleta met him and brought him to his office where he stayed for a while. Watching the hearing at the gallery until he was called to testify,” he stressed.

It was Marcoleta who presented Guteza as a witness, saying he was referred to him by former Rep. Mike Defensor.

Lacson said he finds it unreasonable for a fellow senato to call him out for spying when the Senate is a “public space.”

“This is a public place, the Senate. So let’s not be surprised, there are so many CCTVs here and one can monitor who is arriving…This is an open area and we have jurisprudence when it comes to CCTV footages,” he pointed out.

As far as he is concerned, Lacson said Guteza needs to present evidence to corroborate his statements against Romualdez.

“We need him to sew up his testimony earlier, to back up his claims in his written affidavit,” he said.

“What Guteza needs is corroborative evidence…Otherwise, a mere allegation of one person will not hold water,” he reiterated.

Related Tags

flood control probe Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Ping Lacson ORLY GUTEZA rodante marcoleta Martin Romualdez
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