De Lima on bribery witness: What is she up to?

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to do a thorough background check on Jerramy Joson, who had accused several officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) of receiving bribe money from the Ampatuans, the clan whose patriarch, sons and some relatives have been implicated in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

Joson had recently backtracked on her earlier testimony, saying she was only ordered by Atty. Nena Santos and Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu to put names of DOJ officials in a notebook as among the recipients of money from the Ampatuans. Those mentioned in the notebook include Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and Deputy Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon.

Baraan is planning to take legal action against Santos and Mangudadatu.

“I directed the NBI to subpoena this Joson to find out the truth.  Magulo sya eh. Maligalig [She is confused and disturbed],” De Lima said.

“I mean what is that all about? What is the truth–the one she said first or the one she’s saying now. She strikes me as mysterious. What is her motive? Why is she saying all these,” De Lima asked.

De Lima on Friday met with Santos and Mangudadatu.

Santos already denied involvement on Joson’s latest allegation.

Mangudadatu, on the other hand, said there are unseen hands wanting to make him look bad in public.

“With all honesty, I did not know anything about that notebook until it came out in media reports. Per media reports, she even filed cases in the Ombudsman by using that notebook as evidence. My lawyer did not even know her beforehand nor did we utilize her as witness in the case against the Ampatuans,” Mangudadatu said in a text message.

“Perhaps this is part of the ongoing efforts by ‘unseen’ hands designed to make me look bad in the eyes of the public. But the public knows that my family is the victim of the most grievous crime committed in our country and my family is simply seeking to achieve justice. If ‘staining’ our reputation is part and parcel in the quest for justice then so be it. What matters is that in the eyes of the Great Almighty, our family is innocent of the unjust charges against us,” Mangudadatu added.