JAYBEE SEBASTIAN. FILE PHOTO
Congressmen looking into reports of drug trafficking inside the national penitentiary are waiting to see whether or not convict Jaybee Sebastian will finally appear today and implicate Sen. Leila de Lima, former justice secretary and archfoe of President Duterte.
Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, vice chair of the justice Committee, said over dzBB radio yesterday that Sebastian was an “important” witness because he was alleged by other convicts to have dealt with De Lima in the drug trade.
“If he cannot attend on Monday, we can continue [with the investigation] on Tuesday or Wednesday… Many of the witnesses point to Jaybee Sebastian as the mastermind inside [the NBP],” said Veloso, who insisted the hearings were not meant to “prosecute De Lima.”
Sebastian was reported by his lawyer to still be recovering from stab wounds he suffered during a supposed “riot” inside the New Bilibid Prison a week after he reportedly told Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre that he had nothing to say against De Lima.
De Lima, who initiated a Senate probe into extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration, charged Aguirre with forcing inmates to testify against her.
Veloso said they could have closed the inquiry without Sebastian appearing but Aguirre had assured them that the convict was now willing to testify.
Nearly 10 NBP convicts, led by Sebastian’s nemesis, Herbert Colanggo, have implicated de Lima in the alleged drug trade in the national penitentiary, claiming that through Sebastian and De Lima’s bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, she solicited money from them to fund her senatorial bid.
Veloso also said yesterday that former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer in charge Rafael Ragos had submitted a supplemental affidavit, which the lawmaker described as “terrifying” because it gave a more detailed account of the alleged payoffs to De Lima.
De Lima has denied the allegations, saying it was part of the administration’s character assassination against her being one of the more vocal critics of President Duterte.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez met a firestorm of protest when he threatened to show what he claimed was a sex video of de Lima and her supposed lover at last week’s hearing.
Cebu Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa had earlier lamented that instead of focusing on the issue of the reported drug trade inside the national penitentiary, Aguirre appeared to be helping President Duterte in his personal “war” against De Lima through the congressional hearings.
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