NBI to probe allegations vs DOJ exec, massacre prosecutors

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will look into the veracity of allegations that Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and prosecutors handling the Maguindanao massacre case received millions of pesos in bribe from the Ampatuans.

Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she will ask the NBI to investigate the allegations of her law school classmate and best friend Nena Santos and state witness Lakmudin Saliao, although she finds their claims incredible and without basis.

“Even the (prosecution) panel is asking for an investigation because it’s so unfair to have accusations without basis,” she said. “They are already affected by this.”

De Lima said she sees no reason to doubt the panel of prosecutors because they are doing their job.

“If they were indeed compromised, then they should have destroyed the case already,” she said.

“We have now reached this stage – the case has already rested. But why are other people muddling it?”  

She is puzzled by the insinuations of Santos that “many” state prosecutors received bribes from the accused in the case through an emissary, De Lima said.

Santos said an offer of P300 million was made for her to drop the case, and that she has evidence to prove her allegations.

It is not yet time to disclose these, she added.

Her client, Maguindanao Gov. Esmail Mangudadatu, has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to replace Baraan as overseer of prosecutors in the case.

However, De Lima said: “What is their evidence? Definitely, Usec. Baraan and the panel are vehemently, strongly, flatly denying such accusation.”

She questioned the motive of Santos  in opposing the prosecution panel’s move to conclude the presentation of evidence against principal accused Andal Ampatuan Jr. and 27 others.

“That is something I really find perplexing,” she said.

“Why don’t they want to rest the case? If we don’t rest now, when will see conviction?”

De Lima said she  does not buy the reported allegations of Saliao that a P20-million bribe was given to Baraan, part of the P50 million for the panel of prosecutors coursed through lawyer Sigfrid Fortun.

“He claimed that the offer was made when he was still with the Ampatuans, and that was before 2010 when Usec. Baraan was probably not yet here and the composition of the panel was still different,” she said.

“And yet he’s accusing the present panel, which is quite unfair.”

Speaking over Bombo Radyo, Baraan and the prosecutors denied the allegations of Saliao.

“Undersecretary Baraan and the panel of prosecutors vehemently deny having received any amount from the Ampatuan camp,” the panel said in a statement.

The prosecutors said Saliao’s claims are full of holes and bereft of truth.

“When he was with the Ampatuans and before he turned against them in May 2010 to become a state witness, Baraan was not yet in government and the present panel has not yet been constituted,” they said.

Baraan assumed his post in the DOJ on Aug. 16, 2010. He was named supervising undersecretary of the prosecution panel on Nov. 22 of the same year.

The prosecutors said Saliao escaped on May 18, 2010 from the Ampatuans, whom he had served for many years as the right-hand man of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.

On July 15, 2010, he  was admitted to the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

The present panel of prosecutors headed by City Prosecutor Archimedes Manabat was constituted on March 9, 2011.

The statement of the prosecutors read: “Based on this timeline alone, it is clear that Saliao’s allegations are false. His own story betrays his claims. The panel of prosecutors is confident in the quality and strength of its evidence in order to bring justice to the victims and the Filipino people.”

In a separate statement, Baraan said Saliao’s allegation is a complete fabrication.

“His own statements disprove these allegations,” he said.

“His claim is a contradiction in itself as he speaks of a time when I was not yet with the DOJ, much less the supervising undersecretary of the Ampatuan, Maguindanao cases.”

Fortun speaks out

In a text message to The STAR yesterday, lawyer Sigfrid Fortun said allegations linking him to bribery of government prosecutors is a “poor story” without any evidence.

“I do not give value to idle talk by cretins who crave for attention by creating a poor story that cannot be supported by any evidence,” he said.

“It was about a land case in Cavite involving my family, not about the Maguindanao . It was a request for an opinion from the DOJ. Baraan could not help me as he was not involved in it.” – With Janvic Mateo