The justice committee of the House of Representatives continued its inquiry into the drug trade in the National Bilibid Prison Wednesday, with Justice Secretary Vitalian Aguirre III saying he would present four witnesses -- three inmates and an employee of his department.
The four are: "high profile inamates" Jojo Baligad, Froilan Trestiza, commander of the Batang City Jail gang, Hans Antonio Tan and DOJ employee Jesusa Francisco.
But the first to testify was NBP inmate Noel Martinez, who said he was the "commander" of the "Genuine Ilocano Group."
Martinez and fellow inmate Jaime Patcho earlier submitted their sworn affidavits to the House justice committee, both of them, like previous witnesses, claiming Senator Leila De Lima had links to the narcotics trade at the NBP when she headed the Department of Justice.
In his affidavit, Martinez said that in 2013, he was informed by gang leader Jaybee Sebastian that De Lima needed funds for her senatorial run.
Sebastian reportedly ordered the centralization of drug sales in the penitentiary and required him and other gang leaders to help in exchange for protection and special treatment.
Martinez said De Lima’s aide Joenel Sanchez allegedly collected the money from Sebastian.
He added that he met De Lima in late 2013.
Although he said he never sold drugs directly, he referred people outside the penitentiary who would peddle the contraband and would later inform him through text messages of deposits made to a bank account provided by Sebastian.
Martinez was one of the high profile inmates who were transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation following raids on the NBP.
In 2015, Patcho said he was also asked by Sebastian to help raise funds for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.
Patcho helped Sebastian find customers, with each transaction involving five kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or “shabu,” worth around P4.35 million, over four or five months.
The money was then supposedly deposited to a bank account provided by Sebastian.
Meanwhile, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who represents five of the witnesses against De Lima, denied her claim his clients had been blackmailed, threatened, intimidated or tortured to testify against her.
Topacio said that Senator De Lima has again shown her propensity for making untruthful and irresponsible statements devoid of factual bases. He also made it clear that none among his clients have been threatened, cajoled, tortured or intimidated, or have been subjected to torture, either physical or psychological.
Topacio serves as counsel to Martinez, German Agojo, Joel Capones, Jerry Pepino and Herbert Colanggo.
Source: Interaksyon
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