Witnesses exonerate Carillo in bar incident

AT least three witnesses yesterday appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to shed light on allegations that Councilor Gerardo Carillo hit a 16-year-old boy outside a restobar in Cebu City.

The witnesses, including barangay captain Elmer Abella of Duljo Fatima, said they saw the commotion that ensued at around 3 a.m. last July 7, but no one actually witnessed who hit Jan Niño Pogoy on the head with a rock.

The witnesses were accompanied by lawyer Kirk Bryan Repollo who is a member of Carillo’s law office. Except for Abella, the two other witnesses have executed a sworn affidavit.

“We will verify the statements of the witnesses,” NBI supervising agent Rennan Augustus Oliva said. “All the witnesses shall be subjected to a polygraph examination.”

Abella said he and Carillo were talking inside Kuerks Bar when a commotion ensued between two groups of youngsters outside the bar.

“I didn’t see who hit the boy. But I’m sure it’s not Councilor Carillo because we were together,” he said.

He said he heard reports that one of the young men involved in the commotion admitted throwing a stone during the incident.

“Maybe, the stone he threw hit Pogoy’s head,” Abella said. /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol