The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is set to escalate its actions against former Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co and retired Sergeant Orly Guteza for their continued failure to attend hearings on controversial flood control projects. The panel announced it will issue a show-cause order demanding an explanation for their absences.
Arrest Warrants Loom for Contempt
During the committee's resumed hearing, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson stated that arrest warrants will be issued if Co and Guteza continue to ignore the proceedings. This decision follows a suggestion from Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who encouraged the panel to issue warrants due to the individuals' failure to respond to earlier subpoenas.
Lacson clarified the committee's step-by-step approach, citing deference to a recent Supreme Court ruling. "Let’s first issue a show-cause order. If the response is unsatisfactory, we will cite them for contempt and eventually issue arrest warrants," he explained.
Allegations of Billion-Peso Kickbacks
Zaldy Co, the former chairman of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, is at the center of a major controversy. He is implicated in allegedly receiving billions of pesos in kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects across the country.
Co already faces a separate legal battle, with a standing arrest warrant concerning irregularities in a P289-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. Reports indicate he is currently in hiding abroad.
From his undisclosed location, Co has released video statements making explosive accusations. He pointed to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as the alleged ultimate recipients of the kickback money from the flood control projects.
Corroborating Testimony and Disappearance
The allegations gained traction from the testimony of retired Sergeant Orly Guteza. Before the Senate panel in September, Guteza stated he served as Co's security aide from December 5, 2024, to August 2025.
During this period, he claimed he personally delivered luggage containing millions in cash—referred to in code as "trash"—to Romualdez's residences in Pasig and Taguig on at least three occasions.
In his video statement, Co supported Guteza's claims, even presenting photos of luggage supposedly stuffed with cash. Notably, Guteza has not been seen in public since his Senate appearance, raising further questions about the case's developments as the committee pushes forward with its inquiry.
