Reopen probe on 11 Indians, Senate asked

Former NBI deputy director Arturo Figueras, the official indicted for the 1994 illegal release of 11 drug-dealing Indians, said he will seek the Senate Blue Ribbon committee's help to reopen the inquiry on who was really behind the controversial case.

Figueras said he will ask the Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee, to reopen the case and verify his latest allegations that the documents used in charging him were actually falsified.

"Now I dare (former NBI director Epimaco) Velasco to come out and refute my allegations," said Figueras.

Figueras said it was Velasco who ordered the document falsification to cover-up his culpability.

Meanwhile, NBI document experts confirmed yesterday what they said was obvious falsifications of NBI radio message entries in connection of the case.

Sources said the confirmation boosted the accusations made by Figueras that it was Velasco who ordered the anomalous release of the Indians that was later covered-up with the newly-discovered logbook alterations.

"The document speaks for itself, even an ordinary person could recognize the alterations," said NBI Questioned Documents Division (QDD) expert Rogelio Azores.

Azores and another NBI-QDD expert Eliodoro Constantino made the confirmation although the two have yet to conduct a study of the document. The two said the alterations came in the form of "alterations by obliteration and/or overwriting."

The radio message entries pertaining to the communications that transpired leading to the release of the Indian nationals on Aug. 12, 1994 were reportedly crucial in the acquittal of Velasco and three others that included former solicitor general Silvestre Bello III.

Velasco, meanwhile, played down the accusations made by Figueras.

"Wala iyon, matagal na iyon (It's nothing, it's been a long time). Wala na iyon. Tapos na iyon (It's nothing. It's over)."

The radio messages, according to Figueras and corroborated by another NBI radio operator Ruben Mercado, was supposed to show Velasco -- through his bodyguard Servando Alvarez -- ordering the release of the Indians.

The Indians were arrested on July 4, 1994 for alleged large-scale manufacturing of shabu component methaqualone. They were arrested inside from their rented Las Piñas house and warehouse by Figueras' men.

"There is grave injustice committed against me. Velasco and Vibora (Alvarez's nickname) should be the one charged," Figueras told The Star.

The logbook containing the radio entries was reportedly presented during the ensuing senate inquiry and investigation by the Ombudsman but the two probe bodies were allegedly unaware that the radio message forming of their documentary evidence were faked.

Mercado, a radio operator, said he was willing to testify to the falsification. Mercado said he was willing to expose the falsification as early as the senate investigation but he was never asked about it.

"Before the inquiry I was advised that I should just answer what was asked for me and I should not comment any further," said Mercado.

By the end of the simultaneous probes that resulted in the indictment of Figueras, however, the logbook reportedly disappeared. He said it was only recently that he got hold of the logbook.