House Speaker Naniniwalang May Malaking Tao sa Likod ng Bilibid Riot

Naniniwala si House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez na mayroong impluwensya ng isang malaking tao ang nangyaring riot sa loob ng Building 14 ng New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
Ayon kay Alvarez, ang lumalabas ay parang may ayaw daw na tumestigo si Jaybee Sebastian sa imbestigasyon ng Kamara tungkol sa drug trade sa NBP.
Dagdap pa nito, kaduda-duda raw ang nangyari sapagkat matagal nang magkakasama sina Sebastian, Peter at Tony Co, at iba pang high-profile inmates pero hindi naman ito nagka-away na humantong sa naturang insidente.
Kailangan din daw matukoy sa lalong madaling panahon kung sino ang may motibo para madiskaril ang nakatakdang pagharap ni Sebastian sa pagsisiyasat ng House committee on justice.
Hindi naman direktang sinabi ng House Speaker kung may kinalaman ang riot sa Bilibid sa pagpapatuloy ng imbestigasyon ng mababang kapulungan ng Kongreso.
Nakatakda kasing iharap si Sebastian sa pagdinig ng Committee on Justice sa Oktubre 5 bilang isang resource person.
Pero wala naman daw nakikitang problema ang Kamara kung hindi makakasipot si Sebastian sapagkat may nakalinya pa naman daw na iba pang testigo.


'Not normal prison riot'
Alvarez, however, doubts that the incident at the NBP on Wednesday morning was just a normal prison riot.
"I don't think so. Kasi, bakit naman of all those years eh bakit ngayon lang sila magpapatayan diyan sa loob? Targeted pa 'yung intended resource persons noong committee on justice," said Alvarez.
(I don't think so. After all these years, why are they only killing each other inside just now? The intended resource persons of the committee on justice were targeted.)
The House panel already plans to subpoena the following individuals for the next hearing on October 5:
Jaybee Sebastian
Ronnie Dayan, De Lima's former bodyguard and driver with whom she allegedly has an affair, and her alleged bagman
Jonel Sanchez, De Lima's bodyguard and alleged bagman
Franklin Jesus Bucayu, former Bureau of Corrections chief
Reginald Villasanta, former Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director
Alvarez reiterated that the House of Representatives, composed mostly of allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, is not out to condemn De Lima.
"Itong investigation na ginagawa natin sa Kongreso madalas nami-misinterpret na we are trying somebody. Kaya nila sinasabi 'yung mga hearsay rule. Alam niyo, 'di naman tayo nagpo-prosecute ng individual dito eh! Wala tayong prino-prosecute. This is not a criminal proceeding," said Alvarez.
(This investigation we're doing at the House of Representatives is often misinterpreted that we are trying somebody. That's why they're mentioning the hearsay rule. We're not prosecuting anyone here. This is not a criminal proceeding.)
De Lima is one of the staunchest critics of the President, leading a Senate investigation into the rising extrajudicial killings as Duterte wages war against drugs.
De Lima has since been ousted as Senate committee on justice and human rights chairperson and was replaced by Senator Richard Gordon. She remains as a member of the committee. (READ: De Lima says Duterte plotted her ouster)
According to Alvarez, he already told the House committee on justice chairperson, Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali, to refrain from recommending the prosecution of any individual once they finish the hearings and craft the committee report.
"Ang kinakailangan natin dito ay maglabas tayo ng isang panukalang batas kung saan ma-address natin 'yung problema sa [New] Bilibid Prison (What we need is a law that would address the problem at the NBP),"

(SOURCE RAPPLER)