‘Inmates offered P100 M to recant testimonies vs Leila’

MANILA, Philippines - A former senator and an incumbent Liberal Party congressman from Laguna offered P100 million to high-profile prisoners to make them recant their testimonies against Sen. Leila de Lima on her alleged involvement in the drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II claimed yesterday.

“The inmates were told that they have to recant before Feb. 25, 2017,” Aguirre told reporters in an ambush interview during the launch of the Governance in Justice program at the Manila Hotel.

Aguirre did not name names, as dared by De Lima.

He said the offer was made specifically to eight inmates currently being held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) custodial center at Camp Aguinaldo.

De Lima said she could not help but laugh at this “outlandish and hysterical story being fed to the media.”

“Obviously, it should not warrant any air time or editorial space unless Secretary Aguirre can provide verifiable proof and not just mere hearsay,” she said.

Aguirre vowed to further investigate the purported bribe offer rejected by the inmates.

“This is tampering of the highest level. We are taking the matter very seriously and we will go after those who are responsible,” Aguirre stressed. He called those who made the offer “well-funded and evidently without scruples.”

He said the two politicians could be charged for the bribe offer because “that is illegal, that is immoral, that is a crime.”

Aguirre said that based on information received by his office, there were actually two offers, the first of which was relayed by phone to the inmates last Wednesday afternoon.

The second offer was made through former police officer Clarence Dongail, another inmate incarcerated at the AFP Custodial Center yesterday morning.

“In both instances, the inmates said no,” Aguirre revealed.

Asked for the significance of the Feb. 25 deadline for their retraction, the justice chief merely reiterated information that anti-Duterte forces were set to gather for the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power revolution.

The inmates who testified against De Lima and granted immunity in return for drug charges against her and several others were Herbert Colanggo, Engelberto Aceñas Dureno, Vicenty Sy, Jojo Baligad and Wu Tuan Yuan or Peter Co.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged De Lima with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) before the Muntinlupa regional trial court (RTC) – specifically for the sale and trading of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

In a related development, DOJ prosecutors asked the Muntinlupa RTC to defer until March 3 today’s hearing on the motion of De Lima for the dismissal of the drug charges and suspension of proceedings pending judicial determination of probable cause.

In seeking a deferment, the prosecutors said they have to attend mandatory continuing legal education classes today.

Meanwhile, De Lima shot back at Aguirre for accusing her of inciting to sedition, saying he should instead arrest President Duterte and himself for “inciting people to violence.”

De Lima earlier called Duterte a “sociopathic killer” with no scruples against killing thousands of drug dependents and suspected drug pushers without due process. For her statement, Aguirre called her the “high priestess of hypocrisy.”

The senator pointed out sedition includes committing “any act of hate or revenge against private persons or any social class” for “any political or social end” under Article 139, in relation to Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code.

“Aguirre should arrest his boss, then arrest himself, for committing the most seditious and murderous act of inciting people to violence against mere suspected pushers and users since the past seven months,” she said.

The senator was referring to the over 7,000 people killed since the start of the administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign, of which over half were referred to as “deaths under investigation” by the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the rest as casualties in legitimate police operations.  – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Marvin Sy