Former Aide Alleges Massive Cash Deliveries Linking House Speaker to Flood Control Scam

A former aide to Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co has made startling allegations that connect former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to the ongoing flood control corruption investigation that has gripped Congress.\n\nOrly Regala Guteza, who was employed as a security consultant by Co, testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he was routinely assigned to transport suitcases laden with cash — euphemistically called "basura" — to both Co’s condominium and Romualdez’s residence in Taguig.\n\nGuteza asserted that each suitcase contained approximately P48 million. He recounted a specific delivery involving 46 suitcases, of which 35 were brought to Romualdez’s McKinley Street home, while 11 remained at Co’s unit in Horizon Residences, Pasig.\n\n"I personally carried those luggages to the addresses. On at least three occasions, I was part of the team that delivered the "garbage" to Congressman Co’s condo and to Speaker Romualdez’s house," Guteza stated during his Senate testimony.\n\nHe emphasized that these exchanges were routine operations, with various members of Co’s staff rotating to manage the continuous cash transfers.\n\nIn a sworn affidavit submitted to the committee, Guteza also implicated Benguet Representative Eric Yap, claiming Yap once delivered 46 suitcases filled with money directly to Co’s residence in Valle Verde 6.\n\nThese shocking disclosures add significant weight to the expanding investigation into alleged kickbacks involving flood control projects, a scandal that has already ensnared numerous legislators and contractors.\n\nAs the Senate inquiry proceeds, Guteza's testimony implicates some of the most influential figures in Congress, potentially marking one of the largest corruption cases in recent Philippine political history.