DOJ chief reveals attempts to bribe Maguindanao massacre witnesses

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed yesterday attempts by alleged emissaries of the Ampatuan clan to bribe key witnesses in the case involving the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao in November last year.

In a press conference, De Lima said she has already ordered state prosecutors handling the case to immediately file criminal charges against certain persons that tried to offer millions of pesos to prosecution witnesses who are detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City along with the accused in the massacre.

“We should obviate further attempts to bribe our key witnesses,” De Lima said.

She revealed that there were two confirmed incidents involving attempts to bribe jailed witnesses who were also named accused in the case, through emissaries who course their offer through jail officers.

“One incident involves an offer of P5 million for the vital witness to recant an earlier testimony. It was coursed through an officer who already executed an affidavit with us,” she said.

She revealed another case involving an offer worth millions to another jailed key witness made by another emissary through another officer.

De Lima said both attempts, which happened weeks ago, were unsuccessful.

“But we received information that there was another bribery attempt that was successful. We don’t have confirmation on this though,” she lamented, but refused to reveal the name of the persons involved so as not to thwart their possible arrest.

Aside from bribery, the camp of the Ampatuans has supposedly also resorted to “other foul means to entice witnesses to recant,” according to De Lima.

She said there were reports that the witnesses encountered harassment in some instances when they crossed paths with the Ampatuans inside the facility.

The Justice chief said the Ampatuans even had a chance to talk to the witnesses since they were just separated by bars in the detention center.

In one incident, SPO2 Badawi Bakal, one of the co-accused, requested that he be transferred to another facility away from the Ampatuans after receiving direct threat from them last Apr.18 at around 10 a.m. inside the Taguig jail.

In his earlier handwritten letter addressed to the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bakal alleged that clan patriarch Andal Sr. and his son Andal Jr. told him to sign an affidavit clearing them in the carnage or his family would be killed.

De Lima said she already called the attention of officials of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and necessary safeguards have already been instituted, including banning of cellphones inside the facility. 

She said she also advised them to regulate visits to the detained accused.

Tightening the noose

Still, De Lima stressed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would push for the transfer of the prosecution witnesses in the Taguig jail to the PNP custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, which would require the approval of the Supreme Court upon the PNP’s recommendation.

De Lima’s revelation came following a case conference held at the DOJ building in preparation for the anticipated resumption of hearing on the multiple murder at the Quezon City regional trial court.

The Justice secretary met with state prosecutors and private lawyers handling the case as well as officers of PNP and National Bureau of Investigation “to further strengthen the prosecution.”

She said she expects closer coordination between the DOJ and private lawyers of the families of the victims after the killing last month of Suwaid Upham alias Jessie, a potential witness.

De Lima instructed all fiscals and private lawyers to submit all pleadings they plan to file in court to the panel of state prosecutors and also to her office.

“Let’s get our act together. Coordination is very important,” she said.