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By Jomar Canlas Reporter
First of two parts
The government has an affidavit
from Charlie “Atong” Ang saying he paid the families of the
killed Kuratong Baleleng gang members millions of pesos in behalf of
Sen. Panfilo Lacson—a charge Lacson vehemently denies.
This seems to bolster earlier
reports that even before the Senate reopened the controversial
“Hello, Garci” case, the government was ready with its own trump
card—one that would pit Ang against Lacson.
It was Lacson’s privileged
speech that started the Senate revival of “Hello, Garci.” That
case involves alleged cheating during the 2004 elections, and the
evidence is believed to be recorded wiretapped conversations between
former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and
President Arroyo, who was up for reelection then.
A major episode in “Hello,
Garci” saga featured the President going on national TV to say,
“I am sorry” for “a lapse in judgment.” But she gave no
details of what she was apologizing for and insisted she did nothing
wrong or illegal.
The “Hello, Garci” case is
now with the Senate Defense and National Security Committee. Its
chairman, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, is to conduct public hearings
starting Friday.
On August 22—a day after
Lacson’s privileged speech—Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez
told reporters the government has a “live witness” who can
provide new evidence in cases linked to Lacson. Those cases include
the alleged rubout of the Kuratong Baleleng gang members; the
Salvador “Bubby” Dacer-Emmanuel Corbito murders; and the
espionage case in America involving US Intelligence agent Leandro
Aragoncillo and former police Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino, who
served under Lacson during his career at the Philippine National
Police.
Gonzalez did not name the “live
witness,” saying only that he could implicate Lacson.
The Manila Times reported that
the secretary was referring to Ang, citing an unnamed source at
Justice. Gonzalez accused The Times of lying.
The Times, however, stands by its
story.
Atong Ang pays
When Ang was deported back to the
Philippines, he confessed before government prosecutors that he has
“knowledge” about the alleged involvement of Lacson in several
controversial criminal cases, according to a highly placed source at
Justice.
The source, who declined to be
named, was one of three government officials who signed Ang’s
affidavit. Another Justice official corroborated that information.
The second source, who is also a signatory in Ang’s affidavit,
declined to be named as well.
Both corroborated an earlier
report of The Times that Ang’s testimony was part of a
plea-bargaining agreement with government, which wanted that the
information to pin down Lacson, a member of the opposition.
“That is why there is a
provision in the plea-bargaining agreement that Ang agreed to
testify in other cases [in] which he has personal knowledge, but it
was not elaborated in that document,” one of the sources said.
Sanidad confirms
Arno Sanidad, the lawyer of the
Kuratong family members, confirmed that Atong Ang and former police
officer Aquino paid a large sum to the family members of the gang
members.
Sanidad told The Times that after
the receiving money several affidavits were executed by family
members of Kuratong, specifically by Leonora Amora y Soronda, mother
of Joel Amora, one of those killed; and by Myrna Abalora, mother of
Wilson Abalora and his sister, Gemma, both victims. Gemma Abalora
was not among those 11 killed in the alleged rubout, but was killed
on the same day in another place.
“Based on the affidavit of
Myrna, it was clear that they were paid by Ang and Aquino,”
Sanidad said. He explained that the affidavit did not specify the
amount, only that the money came from Ang and Aquino.
Sanidad said Abalora told him
that the settlement totaled between P9 million and P11 million and
was paid to six families.
Lacson’s side
Lacson said he did not order Ang
to pay money to the victims of the Kuratong Baleleng victims.
“There is no way I can order
Atong Ang to do that,” Lacson told The Times on Monday. “For one
thing, he is not under me. For another, we are not close.”
Both Lacson and Ang were
associated with Joseph Estrada from the time when he was
vice-president. Ang became prominent when he and Estrada were
caught on video gambling in a casino. The tape surfaced during the
presidential campaign then but did not keep Estrada from making it
to Malacañang in 1998.
Lascon said that since March 29,
1999, eight cases involving him in the Kuratong case has been
dismissed. The senator added that the prosecutors had appealed to
the Supreme Court, but he said this no longer involved him.
“If there was really cash
settlement, then why is there still a case pending before the
Supreme Court,” Lacson asked.
He said the Kuratong Baleleng
case has been resurrected to harass him for reviving the “Hello,
Garci” controversy.
The Kuratong Baleleng case
involves the alleged rubout of 11 members of that robbery gang on
May 17, 1996. Police, however, insist the gang members died in a
gunfight with members of the now defunct Presidential Anti-organized
Crime Task Force, which was then headed by Lacson.
To be continued tomorrow
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