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Marcoleta defends Guteza, claims threats forced recanted statement
Philippines
National
Marcoleta defends Guteza, claims threats forced recanted statement
Marcoleta defends Guteza, claims threats forced recanted statement
By Dhel Nazario
Published Aug 28, 2026 02:10 pm
At A Glance
- Detained Senator Rodante Marcoleta said his respect for Master Sergeant Orly Guteza remains despite the soldier's Aug. 19 statement contradicting his earlier testimony.
- The detained senator said Guteza's change in account was understandable and expected given the alleged ordeal he and his family were subjected to.
- Marcoleta maintained that the circumstances surrounding Guteza's latest statement should be considered without questioning the soldier's honor, sense of duty and valor.
Detained Senator Rodante Marcoleta said his respect for Master Sergeant Orly Guteza remains intact despite the soldier’s release of a statement on Aug. 19 that contradicted his earlier testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta and Orly Guteza (MB file photos)
Marcoleta said Guteza’s latest statement was not surprising to him, saying it was understandable given the ordeal the soldier allegedly went through.
“My respect for MSgt Guteza has not been diminished by the release of his completely different statement on August 19, 2026,” Marcoleta said.
“It was unsurprisingly expected as it was obviously understandable given the ordeal he was subjected to,” he added.
Guteza previously testified before the Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 25, 2025, where he provided allegations concerning the supposed involvement of then-Speaker Martin Romualdez, former Rep. Zaldy Co and others in the alleged misuse of billions of pesos intended for flood control projects.
In his latest statement, Marcoleta maintained that the change in Guteza’s account should not diminish his view of the soldier’s character.
He said the circumstances surrounding Guteza’s later statement should instead be taken into consideration, particularly allegations that the soldier and his family were subjected to threats.
Marcoleta also pointed to a previously circulated video of a phone call between Guteza and his wife, which he said showed that the soldier had been effectively isolated after his Senate testimony and later made to sign and read a different statement.
According to Marcoleta, Guteza repeatedly told his wife that the new statement was not his, but that he had signed it to protect his family from possible danger.
The senator said he was raising these circumstances without attacking Guteza’s “honor, sense of duty and valor.”
Instead, Marcoleta maintained that Guteza’s latest statement should be viewed in light of the alleged pressure placed on him and his family.
He argued that Guteza’s original testimony before the BRC was a detailed account of his purported personal knowledge, while the later statement merely contained a general denial.
Citing the Supreme Court case People v. Manlapaz (G.R. No. 254747, July 13, 2022), Marcoleta argued that the latter statement carries little evidentiary value when weighed against the witness’ earlier detailed account.
Allegation vs him, Defensor
Marcoleta also questioned the plausibility of the allegations against him and former lawmaker Mike Defensor.
He said it was unlikely for him to have conspired with Guteza, whom he described as a complete stranger at the time.
He likewise rejected as implausible the claim that he and Defensor could have fabricated a detailed account involving the transport of money in luggage within an hour at a restaurant.
Marcoleta said it would have been physically improbable for him, upon arriving at the restaurant and being introduced to Guteza, to assess his character, establish trust, learn the details of his account, rewrite it, give him instructions on subsequent steps, and return to the Senate within minutes.
Instead, Marcoleta maintained that it was more believable that threats against Guteza’s wife and children had compelled the soldier to sign what he called an “outrageous statement.”
Despite the latest development, Marcoleta said he would not be deterred from pursuing accountability over the alleged misuse of public funds.
“Rather than feel dismay and defeat by the situation of Guteza, and the millions of our countrymen who suffer repression for seeking accountability and justice, we must strengthen our resolve,” he said.