The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said it is waiting for an invitation from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to present its findings on the alleged forgery of a lawyer’s signature in the affidavit of Orly Guteza.
NBI Officer-in-Charge Angelito Magno said the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 had earlier directed the bureau to examine the document after lawyer Petchie Rose Espera denied notarizing or signing the affidavit.
Investigations on possible forgeries and alterations are handled by the Questioned Document Division under the Forensic Science Service.
“If it is truly a forgery, then it would be a case of falsification of a public document, because this was presented during a Senate hearing… and it was allegedly notarized,” Magno said in a radio interview.
“Perhaps when the right time comes — when there’s an investigation or a request from the Senate where this can be presented,” he added.
Guteza claimed to be a former staff of resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. He told a Senate hearing that he allegedly delivered suitcases of money to the homes of Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Both Co and Romualdez denied the claims, with the latter saying it was impossible that he received money from Guteza in a residence that was under renovation since January 2024.
Espera also publicly denied signing Guteza’s sworn statement, which prompted an investigation after she filed an incident report.
