Supposed former Marines, together with Mike Defensor, face members of the media during an interview session at Valle Verde Country Club on March 5, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman said on Thursday that the recantation of witnesses against former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez does not erase their earlier statements.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano made the statement after Romualdez’s legal counsel, Atty. Ade Fajardo, said there is no credible witness or basis to file a case against the Leyte lawmaker over the flood control scam.
Fajardo claimed that 32 previous witnesses — including Orly Guteza, who was the first to make the claim — have withdrawn their accusations against the former House leader.
“Hindi eraser ang recantation. In fact, dagdag ebidensya po iyon,” Clavano said.
(Recantations are not erasers, in fact that is additional evidence)
Baligod to present additional witnesses to strengthen flood control case
He said the graft-busting body would review both the original statements and the recantations as part of the probe.
Clavano said a recantation does not automatically invalidate an earlier statement because one of the two accounts could be untruthful.
He also questioned why some witnesses allegedly went into hiding after recanting their statements.
“Alin po ba dito ang talagang pinanindigan nung mga tao? Bakit biglang nagtago pagkatapos magrecant? Bakit maraming info na binayaran para magrecant? Ito ang mga dapat tanungin,” Clavano said.
(Which of these is the witness standing behind? Why do they go into hiding after they recant? How come there is a lot of inforomation that they have been paid to recant? These are the questions that must be asked.)
Romualdez includes Guteza's recantation in supplemental counter-affidavit for Ombudsman
Fajardo said the witnesses who withdrew their statements were former drivers, security personnel, and aides of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.