MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reiterated yesterday that neither the Philippine Navy nor the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is holding witness Orly Guteza, the former soldier who testified on alleged flood control project anomalies and has since gone missing.
Former lawmaker Mike Defensor claimed that Guteza – introduced at the Senate probe as a former security aide of resigned Ako Bicol party-list congressman Zaldy Co – was in the custody of the Marines.
Rear admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, refuted the allegation, stressing that the AFP and its major services had already denied any involvement.
“The statement of the AFP, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Marine Corps has already categorically denied that Guteza is under the protection of the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Marine Corps or he is being held without his permission,” Trinidad said.
“He is not with the Philippine Navy, he is not with the Philippine Marine Corps. He has already been retired for a long time,” he told reporters in Filipino.
Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez also dismissed claims that Guteza’s family had contacted either the Navy or the PMC for assistance.
“The family did not contact anyone from the Philippine Marine Corps nor the Navy. It was counter checked by our intelligence units… It was comprehensively done, validated, checked, inspected (by) our intelligence units,” she said.
She emphasized that personnel across the service branches are well aware that harboring or concealing individuals without authorization is strictly prohibited.
Martinez also issued a firm statement rejecting allegations that the Marines were sheltering Guteza.
“Claims that the Philippine Navy, particularly the Philippine Marine Corps, is holding, detaining, protecting or placing under its custody Mr. Orly Regala Guteza and his family are mere speculation. These allegations are unfounded, unsupported by evidence and have no basis in fact,” she said.
“As a professional and disciplined institution, the Navy deeply respects and adheres to the Constitution, constitutional processes, including ongoing judicial and legislative inquiries… The Navy does not and will never harbor, conceal or shield any individual from the law,” she added.
Martinez stressed that the AFP’s integrity is non-negotiable and that its personnel have long upheld the highest standards of service.
“It is unthinkable and unacceptable for us to coddle a person called to testify before the law,” she said. “We value justice, truth, constitutional processes and our democratic institutions. Responsibility and accountability are not just words. They are standards we uphold in every action we take.”
Video clip misused
In a separate statement, the AFP also condemned what it called deliberate efforts to misuse an old video involving Co, former House speaker Martin Romualdez and AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
Recorded during discussions on raising the subsistence allowance of military personnel, the resurfaced footage has been weaponized to suggest that the organization has been “bought,” “controlled” or “compromised,” the AFP said.
The group denounced “the deliberate resurfacing and distortion of the ‘old clip’ that was taken when Congress approved the long-overdue increase of the subsistence allowance of military personnel from P150 to P350,” warning that such actions aim to sow distrust amid ongoing corruption issues surrounding flood control projects.
The military explained that the initiative began in December 2023, when President Marcos personally asked Brawner what additional support troops needed.
AFP officials coordinated with Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, then-appropriations chair Zaldy Co and then-speaker Romualdez to ensure the increase was funded in the 2025 national budget.
“Turning this into a political narrative of control reveals not just malice, but a profound lack of respect for the uniform, the service and the sacrifices represented by every stripe and insignia,” the AFP said.
Issuing a stern warning, the AFP called on those weaponizing the video to stop exploiting the institution.