John Paul Solano . INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
The Senate has agreed that it will make public the testimony of John Paul Solano, one of the suspects in the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio Castillo III, in the executive session if he would not file his sworn affidavit by Monday, Oct. 16.
Twenty-one of 24 senators signed and approved Senate resolution no. 529 on Wednesday night, authorizing the committee on public order and the committee on justice to release the transcript of Solano’s testimony given during the Sept. 25 executive session.
“He (Solano) promised us that he would file his affidavit immediately during the preliminary investigation and yet there have been two already,” Senator Migz Zubiri said in a text message.
“It seems that he is giving the committee a run around and under our rules if we see fit that it is material in solving a case and assist in the speedy disposition of justice then we can vote on it. We have and we will release it under the permission of all members duly adopted by the Senate,” he said.
In the resolution, it said Solano, during the executive session, divulged “vital information that will help authorities solve the case, prosecute the culprits and give justice to the death of Atio Castillo.”
READ: Solano ‘named names’ in Senate executive session
Solano and his counsel Paterno Esmaquel bared the details to Senators Zubiri, Win Gatchalian, Bam Aquino and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
“Despite the two preliminary investigations conducted by the prosecutors of the Department of Justice and since the Senate hearing on Sept. 25, Solano has yet to execute a sworn statement and make public all personal knowledge he has on the death of Castillo,” it said.
READ: Solano released from detention
“After careful consideration of the issues, the undersigned members of the Senate have decided to authorize the chairmen of the said committees to make public the testimony of Solano given in an executive session as specified in the Senate Rules Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation,” it added. /idl