Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (left) suspects that the riot at the Bilibid that hurt inmate Jaybee Sebastian (center) could have been meant to silence him. Sebastian has been set to testify in the House probe into the alleged illegal drug trade inside the penitentiary being linked to then Justice Secretary-now-Senator Leila de Lima (right). INQUIRER FILES
Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez on Wednesday said the riot at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) that hurt purported government asset Jaybee Sebastian could be linked to the House investigation into the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary.
In an ambush interview Wednesday, Alvarez said he suspected that there were “forces” who wanted to derail Sebastian’s testimony at the House justice committee investigation into the alleged Bilibid drug trade implicating Sen. Leila De Lima.
READ: De Lima Bilibid ‘asset’ hurt in riot; high-profile inmate killed
“That’s sad, apparently there are forces na ayaw mag-testify si Jaybee Sebastian. Tingnan natin ung motibo kung sino yung ayaw na malaman siguro ang katotohanan,” Alvarez said. (Let’s see. Who has the motive to stop the truth from coming out)
Bilibid inmates have pointed to Sebastian as De Lima’s alleged favored drug lord who collected pay-offs for the then justice secretary from the illegal drug trade at the national penitentiary.
Alvarez said he found it suspicious the riot targeted the next witness to testify in the congressional investigation.
“Bakit naman of all those years ngayon lang sila magpapatayan? Targeted pa yung intended resource person na na-announce ng (House) committee on justice,” Alvarez said.
Asked if the riot may be connected to the House investigation, Alvarez said: “Hindi ko talaga alam, but there is always that possibility.”
Just when the House planned to summon Sebastian to testify about the drug trade that allegedly raised campaign funds for De Lima, a riot ensued Wednesday morning at the maximum security compound that left Sebastian and drug lord Peter Co hurt.
The riot occurred at about 7:30 a.m., when fellow inmate, convicted police officer Clarence Dongail caught inmates Peter Co, Tony Co, and Vicente Sy having a “pot session” inside their cell.
Tony Co reportedly went to the cell of Sebastian and Dongail and attacked Dongail with a knife, sparking the riot. Tony Co was killed in the riot. Peter Co is in critical condition.
READ: Jaybee Sebastian wants to testify on food supply issue, not drug ties
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had said Sebastian was only willing to testify about the anomalies surrounding the food supply inside Bilibid and not the drug trade.
De Lima said Sebastian was the government asset when the National Bureau of Investigation swooped down and exposed the luxurious lifestyle inside the “kubol” or quarters of high-profile inmates in Bilibid.
READ: Jaybee Sebastian a gov’t asset? Stupid, says Aguirre | Jaybee Sebastian, the feared Bilibid inmate
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