Sebastian denies ordering gang leaders to raise funds for De Lima
Witness Jaybee Sebastian testifies during the Congressional hearing and inquiry on illegal drug trade in National Bilibid Prison, October 10, 2016. INQUIRER / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Convicted kidnapper Jaybee Sebastian on Monday denied the testimony of other Bilibid inmates that he operated the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary as the protected drug lord of Senator Leila De Lima.
During lawmakers’ interpellation of his testimony, Sebastian denied one by one the allegations of other inmates pointing to him as the one who ordered gang leaders to raise campaign funds for De Lima when the latter was justice secretary.
READ: Bilibid gang leaders pin down De Lima
Sebastian said the inmates were lying when they testified that it was he who called for a meeting with commanders and set a quota for them in raising drug money for De Lima.
He said these gang leaders were already known drug lords even before he was brought to the Bilibid after his conviction.
“Hindi galing sa akin ang order na magtinda sila ng shabu. Bago ako dumating nagtitinda na sila. Hindi rin galing sa akin na inutusan ko sila magtinda ng shabu para sa kampaniya ni De Lima nung panahong yan (I didn’t order them to sell shabu. Even before I was convicted, they have been selling shabu. I also didn’t order them to sell shabu for the campaign funds of De Lima),” Sebastian said.
He, however, admitted in his affidavit that he raised as much as P10 million campaign funds for De Lima by selling shabu.
READ: Sebastian denies being De Lima’s ‘favored’ drug lord
Sebastian said he gave the payola for De Lima to the latter’s former aide Jonel Sanchez, who Sebastian alleged had a relationship with De Lima.
Sebastian also denied he was a favored drug lord of De Lima, adding that he was only put in the situation to be the lone fund raiser of De Lima after the latter led a raid in the Bilibid that pulled out 19 inmates.
The 19 inmates led by Herbert Colanggo, who all came to be known as the “Bilibid 19,” were alleged to be Sebastian’s competitors in the drug trade. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier said De Lima pulled out the Bilibid 19 so that Sebastian may monopolize the drug trade.
When legislators pointed out to him that it seems it was only he who gave a different testimony from the other witnesses, Sebastian said he wouldn’t be surprised if all the 14,000 inmates in the Bilibid would testify against him.
He said he was viewed by the inmates as the cause of the end of the good life inside the Bilibid after the December 2014 raid, which he dismissed as mere “moro moro” for De Lima to make him the lone fund raiser at the national penitentiary.
Sebastian also dismissed as a lie the other inmates’ testimonies that he meets De Lima in his “kubol” or quarters. He denied rumors that he was also in a relationship with De Lima.
Sebastian also said he does not know any Ronnie Dayan, contradicting other inmates’ testimony that it was Dayan, De Lima’s former driver, who collected payola for De Lima. RAM/rga
