‘Tell all that you know,’ De Lima tells Sebastian’s widow, other ‘false’ witnesses
MANILA, Philippines — Following the death of high profile Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian, who is set to testify in the drug case of Senator Leila De Lima, the detained senator has a message to the inmate’s wife and other “false witnesses” against her: “Tell all that you know.”
According to the senator, Sebastian’s wife “must know something about these dubious circumstances” surrounding her husband’s death, especially after being hysterical upon learning of the incident.
“The rather unusual reaction of Sebastian’s wife, which included threats to kill all the NBP (New Bilibid Prison) officials and personnel responsible for Sebastian’s death, speaks volume of the dubious circumstances surrounding it,” De Lima said in a dispatch.
De Lima also believes that Sebastian’s wife “knows a lot about the intense pressure exerted on Sebastian and his family” to falsely testify against her during the hearings at the House of Representatives on the alleged Bilibid drug trade back in 2006.
“Sebastian refused to falsely testify before the House Committee until he was stabbed and was almost killed inside NBP Building 14 on September 28, 2016. A few days later, he was dragged to the Batasan, with his stab wounds still fresh, to falsely testify against me,” the senator said.
De Lima also released some text messages, which she claimed to have come from a source. The said messages were sent in September 2016 which, the senator said, emanated from Sebastian’s wife.
The messages, De Lima claimed, read as follows:
“Sir, kakausapin ko si (JB) ngayon para papayagin na mag-testify na against de lima. Siya na nadidiin ngayon. Siya susi sa lahat. Labag man sa kalooban ko pero sa tingin ng mas nakararami, ito ang tamang paraan. Ipapasantabi ko na lang sa kanya galit nya saka na lang hugutin pag ok na lahat.”
(Sir, I will talk to JB and convince him to testify against De Lima. He is the one being pressed right now. He is the key to everything. It is against my will but many believe that this is the right thing to do. I will ask him to set aside his rage and just pull it out once everything is okay.)
“Pati po personal na buhay namin sigurado apektado, lumalalim po ang imbestigasyon. Si de lima lang naman kailangan nila. Alam ko mapapatawad kami ng mga anak ko at ng mga naniniwala sa kanya kung sakaling magdesisyon kami ng salungat sa prinsipyo namin. Sorry po.”
(Even our personal lives are for sure affected, the investigation is getting deeper. All they need is De Lima. I know our children will forgive us and those who believe him in case we decide against our principle. I’m sorry.)
These messages, according to De Lima, “are just one solid illustration of the pressure exerted on those who falsely testified and manufactured stories against me.”
De Lima then advised Sebastian’s wife, as well as other witnesses, who she said “falsely testified” against her, to tell all that they know.
The Department of Justice earlier announced Sebastian’s death while incarcerated at the NBP.
The confirmation was issued after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag met Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, it was confirmed that 21 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have died since March.
