The legal defense team representing former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez believes a newly executed affidavit by witness Orly Guteza will serve as a vital cornerstone in clearing his name during the Office of the Ombudsman’s ongoing inquiry.
Attorney Ade Fajardo, lead counsel for the former House leader, stated in an interview that Guteza’s formal retraction has been appended to Romualdez’s supplemental counter-affidavit, emphasizing that the document drastically undermines the core allegations linking his client to the controversy.
Fajardo characterized Guteza as the purported “missing link” who previously tied Romualdez to former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, observing that the complaint’s foundation relied heavily on the witness’s original sworn statement.
“We consider it valuable to us, of course, because it’s essential, it’s central to our defense,” Fajardo said.
“The essence of the complaint seems to be that, as stated in the recantation of Guteza himself, Guteza was the ‘missing link’ between Zaldy Co and Martin Romualdez. And that ‘missing link’ was supplied by that manufactured original affidavit,” he added.
After learning about the retraction, the defense team retrieved a copy of Guteza’s statement online and submitted it to the Ombudsman. The legal team is currently securing a certified true copy from the notary public involved to formally reinforce their filing.
Regarding whether a printed online version would be admitted, Fajardo noted that the case remains in the fact-finding and preliminary investigation phase, where any relevant submission serves as a viable investigative lead.
“Well, it’s going to be part of the investigation. This is a fluid investigation. We are not yet in court,” he said.
Fajardo expressed full confidence that the Ombudsman will review the retraction and gauge its impact on the claims brought against Romualdez.
“So, all these submissions are leads for the Ombudsman to follow, and we will follow through with an official copy of those affidavits,” he said.