The camp of Leyte Rep. and former Speaker Martin Romualdez will submit a supplemental counter-affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman disputing allegations of the “maleta boys” that they delivered cash-filled suitcases to him, and this would be backed by the sworn statements of 25 former employees of ex-lawmaker Elizaldy Co.
Romualdez’s lawyer Ade Fajardo also said he would include the fresh recantation of Orly Guteza, a former Co employee who alleged that he was only pressured to implicate Romualdez by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former lawmaker Mike Defensor.
Fajardo said the 25 sworn statements disputing the cash delivery claims came from Co’s former drivers and security aides.
“They have come forward and directly contradicted the earlier accounts of the 18 maleta boys presented by Atty. [Levito] Baligod. Ayon sa kanila, walang naganap na anumang delivery ng pera sa sinumang pulitiko o opisyal ng gobyerno, kabilang na si Representative Romualdez. HInikayat lamang silang sumali sa isang grupo ng mga testigo kapalit ng pera, at may mga affidavit nang inihanda para sa kanila,” he said in a press briefing.
He also cited Guteza’s recantation and said it appears that there are parties inducing people to link Romualdez to the kickback claims.
He said this indicated that there was a dearth of evidence against the former Speaker, who has denied involvement in the kickback scheme from flood control projects.
“Sa dami ng magkakasalungat na kwento, napaka-klaro na walang ebidensya laban kay congressman Romualdez. Matagal na namin itong sinasabi. Walang kinalaman si Representative Romualdez sa mga paratang sa kanya,” he said.
He said their camp is confident that in a fair investigative body, it would be proven that the allegations against him are baseless.
Fajardo also denied claims that Romualdez was behind the recantations of Guteza as well as the three members of the “maleta boys.”
Asked about the observation that Romualdez attached the three maleta boys’ recantations to his counter-affidavit even before their new statements could be submitted to the Ombudsman, the lawyer said their camp learned about the recantation from news reports.
He said that upon hearing of the recantations, Romualdez’s people made the effort to look for copies of these statements and were able to attach these to the counter-affidavit.
“Mabuti na lang naisama po iyon. Wala pong irregular doon. In fact, it is required na kung ano man ang ebidensya, nire-require kahit ng Department of Justice, Ombudsman etcetera, NBI, na ikaw ay mag-submit ng lahat ng ebidensya na available to you. That is what we did,” he said.
He said he has no knowledge of whether the maleta boys submitted their recantations to the Ombudsman or not.