Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu. AP FILE PHOTO
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu called a “legal misadventure” the criminal complaint filed against him and 10 others by the woman who accused officials of the Department of Justice of receiving bribe money from the Ampatuan family and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima of receiving P5 million monthly from him.
Jerramy Joson accused Mangudadatu together with Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu and his wife, Ebrahim Mangudadatu, Freddie Mangudadatu, King Jhazzer Mangudadatu, board member Bobby Katambak, Khadafeh Mangudadatu and lawyers Nena Santos, Gemma Oquendo and Prima Quinsayas of serious illegal detention.
Joson said they conspired to detain her and her child until she submitted her affidavit in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last year.
However, Joson recanted her accusation saying she was only pressured by Mangudadatu to fabricate such stories.
“The recent complaint filed by Jerramy Joson is nothing but a desperate attempt to salvage whatever little respectability that remains with her name and reputation,” Mangudadatu said in a text message.
“This recent legal misadventure by Joson is therefore expected just to satisfy her benefactor and to lend some cloud of respectability to the intricate web of lies she has spun just to make her story appear credible.”
“Just know that there is no truth to her new allegations and I will do my best to disprove such allegations,” he added.