Retired Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin has appealed to his fellow former Marine, Orly Guteza, to come forward and clarify his situation after going missing following his Senate testimony that implicated former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co in alleged kickbacks from government-funded flood control projects.
“Sa akin lang, to put a closure sa nangyayari na ito, he should really surface… Kasi I vouched (for him). Bumilib nga ako sa iyo tapos nawawala ka. Para akong napaso,” Querubin said in a rare interview after his loss in the 2025 senatorial elections.
Querubin shared that he had initially praised Guteza’s courage for detailing his supposed participation in delivering several suitcases containing ₱48 million each to the residences of Co and Romualdez.
He clarified, however, that he had no direct involvement in Guteza’s decision to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which has been probing the multibillion-peso flood control anomaly.
Querubin admitted that several of his former subordinates, including Guteza’s classmates from the Philippine Marine Corps, reached out to him to help ensure Guteza’s safety and security after the hearing.
“Yung iba, they were soliciting na suportahan ko siya. Yung iba naman, nagpapatulong para mag-surface siya… (Kaya lang) hindi ko nga alam kung nasaan siya,” he said.
Querubin also revealed that Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had personally asked for his assistance in locating Guteza.
“Nag-usap kami ulit. Sabi niya, ‘Patulong na lang. Alam ko malawak ang iyong network.’ In fact sabi ko, ‘I’m working on it,’” Querubin recalled.
Lacson, who stepped down as Senate President Pro Tempore on October 6, is expected to reassume the chairmanship of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee when Congress resumes its regular session on November 10.
Meanwhile, former Anakalusugan Partylist Representative Mike Defensor, who previously helped facilitate Guteza’s Senate appearance, claimed that the Philippine Marines were providing refuge to their former comrade inside Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City — a statement that the Philippine Navy has strongly denied.
Querubin, however, expressed hope that Guteza will soon resurface to bring closure to the controversy and reaffirm the truth behind his statements.