A FORMER security aide of Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co claimed on Thursday, September 25, 2025, that he delivered bags of “trash” to the residence of resigned House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Ang ibig sabihin ng basura ay maleta na may lamang pera (By trash, I mean suitcases filled with money),” Orly Guteza said, as he testified during the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation into alleged flood control anomalies.
Guteza said that from the time he was hired on December 5, 2024, until August 2025, when he resigned from Co’s staff, he delivered luggage containing cash at least three times.
He said each suitcase contained at least P48 million, usually received by Co’s executive assistants, John Paul Estrada and Mark Tecsay, at the lawmaker’s house in a posh subdivision in Pasig City.
“Ang isang ehemplo na nagdala ng pera ay si Congressman Eric Yap ng ACT-CIS Party-list. Apatnapu’t anim (46) na maleta ang dala niya sa bahay ni Zaldy Co sa Valle Verde 6. Pagkatapos mabilang, isinasakay na namin sa mga sasakyan patungo sa Horizon Residences, Taguig. Pagdating sa Horizon Residences, dumidiretso kami sa basement upang maibaba ang nasabing basura at dalhin sa unit ni Congressman Zaldy Co sa 56th floor ng nasabing lugar kung saan siya nakatira,” Guteza said.
(One example is when ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Yap brought 46 suitcases of cash to Zaldy Co’s house in Valle Verde 6. After counting, we loaded them into vehicles bound for Horizon Residences in Taguig. Upon arrival, we went straight to the basement to unload the “trash” and bring it to Co’s unit on the 56th floor where he lived.)
“Bago ibaba ang nasabing 'basura,' ito ay bawas na. Halimbawa, nag-akyat kami ng 46 maleta, ibababa lang namin ay 35 maleta para i-deliver sa bahay ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa 42 McKinley Street, Taguig. Ang labing-isang maleta ay naiwan sa taas sa 56th floor ng Horizon Residences. Humigit-kumulang tatlong beses ako mismo ang nag-deliver ng basura sa bahay ni Congressman Zaldy Co sa Horizon Residences at sa bahay ni Speaker Romualdez sa 42 McKinley Street, Taguig,” he added.
(Before bringing down the “trash,” the number was reduced. For example, out of 46 suitcases, we would only bring down 35 to deliver to House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s residence on 42 McKinley Street in Taguig. Eleven were left upstairs on the 56th floor of Horizon Residences. I personally delivered the “trash” about three times to Co’s Horizon unit and to Speaker Romualdez’s residence on McKinley Street.)
At the Senate panel’s September 23 hearing, dismissed Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara alleged that from 2022 to 2025, Co received about P8.75 billion worth of kickbacks from 426 Bulacan flood control projects.
Dismissed Bulacan First District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez corroborated Alcantara’s claim, recalling an instance when they were tasked to deliver luggage of cash to Co.
Hernandez said they used six to seven vans to deliver funds estimated at P1 billion.
Dismissed Assistant District Engineer Jaypee Mendoza also testified that luggage containing cash was loaded into an elevator and brought to a penthouse believed to be owned by Co.
He said they also delivered funds to Co’s residence in Valle Verde, Pasig. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)