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Friday, January 6, 2017
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MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) is not inclined to investigate the alleged involvement of senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima in the Sept. 28, 2016 stabbing incident at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) which led to the death of inmate Tony Co, while injuring controversial high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian and several others.
Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he considers the incident at the prison facility’s Building 14, which houses high-profile prisoners, a “very simple stabbing incident,” and wants to avoid a duplication in investigation with the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) already investigating it.
“Mayroon nang nag–iinvestigate na dito… magdo-doble doble tayo. Hindi naman kinakailangan na this simple stabbing incident, kailangan bang magdalawang agency ‘yan? Kailangan pa bang makihalo ang NBI (National Bureau of Investigation)? It’s a very simple stabbing incident,” Aguirre said.
In a five-page affidavit executed on Oct. 8, 2016, inmate Tomas Doniña admitted to stabbing Sebastian, allegedly due to the prodding of his former colleague in the Philippine Navy.
The unnamed Navy officer allegedly asked him to kill Sebastian to prevent him from testifying against de Lima, who is being linked to the NBP illegal drug trade. The Navy officer allegedly said de Lima has joined forces with Trillanes.
Doniña claimed he was promised his freedom if he executed the plan. He also claimed the Navy officer spoke of a scheme to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Sabi niya (Navy officer), hindi dapat makapagsalita laban kay Ma’am de Lima si [Sebastian]. Sinabi din niya na kung magagawa kong patayin si [Sebastian] at mapatalsik sa Malacañang si President Duterte ay sila ang bahala na gumawa ng paraan para ako ay mapalaya.
“Sabi pa ng kausap ko, ‘babagsak ang Duterte administration,'” Doniña’s affidavit read.
In his affidavit, Doniña said he requested to speak to Trillanes but did not get to talk to the lawmaker.
Doniña said he had an option not to push through with the plan, especially since Sebastian supposedly had no plans of divulging what he allegedly knew about de Lima before a congressional inquiry into the NBP drug trade.
However, Doniña said he decided to push through with it since Sebastian was singing a different tune after former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos testified that de Lima personally received millions in drug money from him.
“Noong una sinasabi niya (Sebastian) sa akin na hindi siya babaligtad. Nabanggit pa nga niya na ‘matibay ang Liberal Party…’ ngunit nang mapanood namin sa TV na tumestigo ang dating director ng Bureau of Corrections na si Rafael Ragos sa Kongreso at sinabihan ko si [Sebastian] na ‘pare ikaw na lang ang tao ni de Lima na matibay at hindi siya ilalaglag… [a]ng sagot niya sa akin ay ‘pare pag ako ang magsasalita, yung mga statements ng mga kasama natin dito panis yon,'” the affidavit read.
Asked if he is looking at the possibility that the Liberal Party was behind the stabbing incident, Aguirre answered in the negative. “No, no, no, I’m not.”
The Justice chief reiterated that in the absence of supporting evidence, Doniña’s claims fall as hearsay.
The contents of Doniña’s affidavit was first revealed last November during a hearing at the House of Representatives by the justice subcommittee on correctional reforms.
Both Trillanes and de Lima have denied any hand in the stabbing incident.
Trillanes described the allegation as “totally absurd.”
“I categorically deny any involvement in the stabbing incident of Jaybee Sebastian. Why would I even do that? It is totally absurd,” Trillanes said on Tuesday.
“Anyway, Aguirre and his gang better get their stories straight because we will have a full blown Senate inquiry to get the truth out,” he added. (ABS-CBN News)
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