Jaybee Sebastian (left) and Sen. Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILES
Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez on Thursday criticized Senator Leila de Lima for being too talkative, almost costing the life of a purported government asset, carnapping convict Jaybee Sebastian.
In a radio interview over DZMM, Alvarez blamed De Lima for revealing to the media that Sebastian was a government asset, which may have caused the riot at the Bilibid that almost killed the high-profile inmate.
“Nilaglag niya si Jaybee Sebastian. Siya mismo ang nagsabi, government asset iyan. Para na ding pinirmahan yung death warrant ni Sebastian sa pag-aanunsyo na government asset si Sebastian,” Alvarez said.
(She dropped Sebastian. She said it herself, he’s a government asset. It’s akin to signing Sebastian’s death warrant.)
Bilibid inmates who testified in the House inquiry alleged that Sebastian was De Lima’s favored drug lord who raised campaign funds for the senator from the drug trade.
READ: NBI exec claims he gave P10M ‘drug quota’ to De Lima | 1st witness testifies De Lima got millions from drug lord
Just when the House justice committee summoned Sebastian for the inquiry in aid of legislation on the proliferation of drugs at the Bilibid, a riot occurred Wednesday morning when convicted police officer Clarence Dongail caught inmates Peter Co, Tony Co, and Vicente Sy having a “pot session” inside their cell at the Bilibid maximum security compound.
Tony Co 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, while Sebastian sustained stab wounds.
READ: De Lima Bilibid ‘asset’ hurt in riot; high-profile inmate killed
Alvarez said it was only common sense that Sebastian’s fellow inmates would harbor a grudge against De Lima’s alleged drug dealer for ratting on them.
De Lima, when she was justice secretary, swooped down on the Bilibid and exposed the lavish lifestyles of drug lords there. The raid caused the transfer of 19 drug lords to the National Bureau of Investigation jail except for Sebastian, fueling the inmates’ testimonies that he was De Lima’s favored drug lord.
READ: De Lima says Jaybee was her asset
“So of course, naturally, anong mararamdaman ng mga kasamahan niya doon sa Bilibid? Talagang magagalit sa kanya yun dahil parang na-traydor sila. Common sense naman iyan,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez hit De Lima for being too talkative without thinking of the consequences of her statements.
READ: ‘Stop the madness:’ De Lima links prison brawl to plot vs. her
“Alam mo, ang hirap kay Senator De Lima, dada siya ng dada, hindi siya nag-iisip. Ngayon, tira siya ng tira, na ang gusto niyang paniwalaan ng taong bayan ay yung mga kasinungalingan niya. Hindi po ganoon,” Alvarez said.
(The problem with Senator De Lima is that she speaks without thinking. Now, she keeps on talking, wanting the people to believe her lies.)
Alvarez gave credence to the inmates who testified that De Lima earned in the drug trade allegedly operated by Sebastian.
“Alam niyo, tayo dito sa Kongreso hinahanap natin yung katotohanan. Kaya tayo nagtanong, inimbitahan natin yung mga inmates ng Bilibid para malaman natin kung ano talaga ang nangyayari doon sa loob. Walang ibang makakapagsabi niyan kundi sila mismo dahil first-hand information iyan, sila yung nandoon sa loob,” Alvarez said.
(You know, we here in the Congress are searching for the truth. That’s why we are probing, we are inviting the Bilibid inmates to find out what really happened there. No one else could attest to that because it’s first-hand information, they’re the ones inside.)
Alvarez earlier said that there were “outside forces” who would not want Sebastian to testify against De Lima in the House inquiry. Meanwhile, a legislator asked law enforcement agencies to look into De Lima’s alleged role in the Bilibid riot. CDG/rga
READ: Someone may want Jaybee Sebastian silenced – Speaker Alvarez | Solon wants De Lima investigated for hand in Bilibid riot