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MANILA, Philippines – Denying a bribery claim made recently by a prosecution witness, public prosecutors handling the Ampatuan massacre cases said the alleged P50-million payoff couldn’t have happened in their watch.
In a statement released Tuesday, August 5, the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors noted inconsistencies in the material dates regarding the allegation made by witness Lakmodin Saliao.
Saliao, who accused Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan Ill and members of the current panel of accepting money from the principal suspects, claimed he made arrangements for the bribery while he was still working as an aide for the Ampatuans.
The Ampatuans are facing criminal charges for allegedly being behind the gunning down of 58 victims, including 32 journalists, on November 23, 2009. It was allegedly meant to prevent their relative, Ismael Mangudadatu, from filing his candidacy for governor against Andal Ampatuan Jr, who was seeking to replace his father Andal Sr.
“Based on this timeline alone, it is clear that Saliao’s allegations are false. Saliao’s own story betrays his claims,” the prosecutors said in a statement.
Procesutors noted that Baraan was given the task of supervising the cases 6 months after Saliao’s escape from the Ampatuans.
The present panel itself was constituted almost a year after Saliao’s admission to the DOJ Witness Protection Program.
“Clearly, when Saliao was still with the Ampatuans and before he turned against them in May 2010, Undersecretary Baraan was not yet in government and the present panel was not yet constituted,” the prosecutors said.
Baraan for his part regarded Saliao’s claims as a “contradiction in itself.”
“He speaks of a time when I was not yet with the Department of Justice, much less the Supervising Undersecretary of the Ampatuan, Maguindanao cases,” he said in a separate statement.
In a chance interview Tuesday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima also expressed dismay over the allegations made by Saliao.
“I really don’t know what’s happening to him…. I was not even the SOJ (Secretary of Justice) yet, so Usec baraan wasn’t yet here,” she said.
De Lima expressed her support for the prosecution panel. She said no other justice undersecretary would be willling to handle the Ampatuan cases, given the various issues the prosecution panel faced recently.
The Ampatuans have been the ruling clan in Maguindanao province for decades, expanding their influence by allegedly rigging elections in favor of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2004. – Rappler.com
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