Benhur gipasagdan?

The lawyer of alleged Pasig City shabu “tiangge” operator Amin Imam Boratong claimed yesterday that the government witness against his client was his older brother.

Lawyer Raymond Fortun presented as evidence separate certifications from the National Statistics Office (NSO) and a principal from an elementary school in Lanao del Sur that the witness Samer Palao was actually Mangandama Imam Boratong in real life.

Fortun said the NSO document showed Mangandama was born on Oct. 21, 1969 in Lumbao Bayabao in Lanao del Sur, adding that Alaika Juaro, principal of an elementary school in Gulawan Guillagana town certified that Boratong or Palao attended the said school from 1978 to 1984 but did not graduate.

According to Fortun, the NSO also issued a certification that there is no record of live birth of Palao in their office.

In his defense, Palao claimed that he was born in Lumbao Bayabao on Feb. 15, 1968 and could not have attended elementary school as attested to by the principal because “he was already old by then.”

“I was married by then so I could not have attended school there. I’m not a child anymore at that time,” Palao said.

In explaining no record on his life birth, the witness claimed that a “hilot” attended to his mother during his birth and a late registration was allowed then. “Unlike now that after the child was born a form for birth certificate is already on his mother’s side for filling up,” Palao explained, noting that he and Mangandama Boratong are not the same person.    – Non Alquitran