Congressmen yesterday sought an accounting of the P22 million which was part of the P35-million bounty offered for capture of suspects in the murder of former Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe in December last year.
A lawmaker has sought an investigation where the P22-million bounty – P20 million from the Office of President and P2 million from the provincial government of Albay – went.
“I am more than convinced that we should conduct an inquiry kung saan napunta ang P20 million because it came from the Office of the President and it is taxpayers’ money and we have every right to know where this went,” House Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said after Police Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel, acting director of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, failed to answer where the P20-billion bounty went.
Coronel said the PNP National Headquarters is “aware of the distribution of money to different personalities.”
He disclosed that the records of distribution and liquidation were submitted directly to the Office of the President.
“The money was released by the Office of the President to the National Headquarters of the Philippine National Police and the same was liquidated with the Office of President and the distribution has been submitted to the Office of the President,” the PNP officer told the House panel, chaired by Anakalusugan partylist Rep. Mike Defensor.
Of the P35 million bounty, P20 million came from the Office of the President, P13 million from House of Representatives during the 17th Congress, and another P2 million from the province of Albay.
“OK lang P13 million kasi personal money ng House of Representatives, nag-ambag-ambag kami. We are not answerable to the taxpayers, but the P20 million should be liquidated. We should know rather saan napunta ang P20 million at ‘yung P2 million that was remitted to the provincial director, and the person that should know this was former (PNP) chief (Police Gen.) Oscar Albayalde,” Pimentel said.
Coronel confirmed that P6 million was given to prosecution witness Emmanuel Judavar. “There are seven other witnesses who were provided with reward,” he said.
Without mentioning the names of the witnesses, Coronel said two witnesses received P2 million each, another two witnesses got P1 million each, another two witnesses were recipients of P250,000 each, and the seventh witness received P500,000, for a total of P7 million.
Lawmakers have agreed Albayalde should attend the next meeting of the Defensor panel.
Pimentel moved that the panel should issue a show cause order to compel Albayalde’s attendance. But House Deputy Speaker and Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal said it is still premature to issue such order against Albayalde.
During the hearing, Atty. Justin Batocabe, son of the late Rep. Batocabe, thanked the PNP “for their work” even as he expressed concern that three accused witnesses “flip-flopped towards the accused.” He said one of them was Christopher Naval, who was allegedly “given a certain amount,” recanted and sided with former Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo.
“There should be focus on the witnesses. Why they are allowed to flip-flop? Sana hindi napabayaan sa pagbabantay ang mga witnesses,” he said.
Lawyer Joseph Orsos of the PNP Legal Division lamented the “biased” decision of Judge Maria Theresa San Juan Loquillano of the Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 granting Baldo’s petition for bail.
“Reading the order granting bail, of course, we were very surprised. For us, this should have been denied outright because we believe we have a very strong case, strong evidence,” he said. “But if you will read the order granting bail, maybe we are partial because we are the police, but I believe there is somehow bias in favor of the accused,” he pointed out. (Charissa L. Atienza)
