De Lima sought Sebastian help to raise campaign fund—gang head

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 8 years ago

House probe on Bilibid illegal drug trade. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/Philippine Daily Inquirer

An inmate and gang leader at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) revealed that he saw Senator Leila de Lima inside the quarters of fellow inmate Jaybee Sebastian, alleging that the former justice secretary had asked Sebastian to help her raise money for the elections.

Joel Capones, commander of the Sigue Sigue Sputnik gang, disclosed during the congressional inquiry on the illegal drug trade inside NBP that Sebastian had asked gang leaders to sell “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to finance the campaign of De Lima when she ran in the elections last May.

“May isang pagkakataon kung saan tinawagan ako ni Jaybee at sinabi sa akin na pumunta ako sa kubol niya dahil patutunayan niya na ang koleksyon ay para kay Sec. De Lima. Pumunta ako at maya maya’y dumating nga si Sec. De Lima at nag-usap sila ng pribado (There was a time when Jaybee called me to ask me to go to his kubol to prove that the collection was for Sec. De Lima. I went there and later on, Sec. De Lima came and they talked in private),” Capones said.

The inmate said that Sebastian discussed with him the fund raising in December 2013 but it was only in January 2014 when the members of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Commando gang started selling drugs allegedly for De Lima.

“Sinabi niya sa akin na baka kailanganin namin na mag-benta ng droga sa loob at labas ng Bilibid dahil nangangailangan ng tulong si Sec. De Lima para sa pondo sa eleksyon sa 2016 (He told me that we might need to sell drugs inside and outside the Bilibid because Sec. De Lima needed help in the fund for elections 2016),” he recalled.

But Sebastian explained to Capones that they need not worry if De Lima would lose the senatorial race because “Mar Roxas will definitely win as president.”

De Lima and former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II both ran under the Liberal Party last May elections. Roxas lost to President Rodrigo Duterte, then Davao City Mayor.

“Ipinaliwanag niya rin sa akin na kung matalo man si Secretary De Lima sa pagkasenador, siguradong magiging DILG secretary naman ito dahil si Mar Roxas ang magiging Pangulo (He explained to me that if Secretary De Lima lost in the senatorial race, she would certainly be the DILG secretary because Mar Roxas would become the President),” he said.

Capones said that in Feburary 2014, Sebastian introduced him to Jad De Vera, whom Sebastian identified as De Lima’s nephew, who will collect their earnings every Wednesday and Saturday.

“Sa dalawang pagkakataon, ang pera na dinala ko kay Jaybee ay ibinigay niya kay Jad De Vera, mismo sa harapan ko (In two instances, Jaybee gave Jad De Vera the money I delivered, he did it in front of me),” he said.

In March and April 2014, Capones said Sebastian showed him four deposit slips proving his transaction with De Lima. Sebastian deposited the money to De Lima’s alleged BDO bank account with account number 000920421288. /rga