Maguindanao massacre. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The lawyer of the complainant against Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III revealed the ties between her former client and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu.
Lawyer Freniza Joy Cacatian-Barangan withdrew her services as counsel for Jerramy Joson.
Last August 13, Joson filed graft and administrative complaints against Baraan and his secretary, Paula Garcia, before the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday over an alleged bribery incident in 2013.
Joson accused both Baraan and Garcia of extorting P600,000 from her in exchange for a favorable decision in the review of a car theft case she filed against Ampatuan lawyer Arnel Manaloto with the DOJ.
Barangan in her affidavit said Joson’s allegation against Baraan was a “big lie.”
“As a lawyer, it is my utmost duty to uphold the truth, and once a client is already involved in perjury and illegal activities, that attorney-client relationship is ipso facto (fact by itself) severed,” Barangan said in her affidavit.
“I have therefore come forward because I cannot allow Ms. Jerramy Joson to tarnish the name of Usec. Baraan, using me to bolster and prop her big lie,” Barangan said in an affidavit. “I am accusing Jerramy Joson of perjury for the fabricated lies in her affidavit filed with the Ombudsman.”
Barangan said that Joson “took advantage of my appearance in her case and stated in the media that I allegedly accompanied her that day in going to the office of (Baraan), when in truth and in fact, we never went to his office or any other office for that matter and neither did we go to meet any other person.”
She said Joson told her that her P200,000 acceptance fee would come from Mangudadatu, which will be wire-transferred by Mangudadatu’s counsel Nena Santos.
Santos, in a phone interview, denied knowing both Joson and Barangan.
Joson is the same person who claimed to have possession of a notebook containing names of people allegedly bribed by the Ampatuan clans who were principal accused in the Maguindanao massacre.
Baraan, meanwhile, said he would ask the Ombudsman to immediately issue a subpoena to him so he can respond to Joson’s complaint.
Baraan said he is also eyeing the filing of perjury case against Joson.
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