DOJ witness ready to face Beltran, ‘Batasan 5’

Jaime Beltran Fuentes, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) "superwitness" against Anakpawis partylist Rep. Crispin Beltran and the so-called "Batasan 5" is now ready to take his mask off.

Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said the self-confessed hitman of the New People’s Army (NPA) is ready to face Beltran, Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Teddy Casiño, Joel Virador and Rafael Mariano.

"He didn’t want to show his face because he feared for his family’s safety," Velasco told The Star in an interview.

"He was reluctant to show his face when he was presented at the DOJ because his parents and siblings were still inside the NPA territory in Davao," Velasco explained.

"They (Fuentes family) are all members of the (communist) party," he said, noting that Fuentes’ parents and other relatives have since been moved to a safe location.

Velasco explained that a week after Fuentes surfaced, his family left the NPA but his mother was abducted three days later and was forced to sign a statement that her son was tortured to testify that Beltran and the "Batasan 5" are NPA as members and leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

"She was able to escape two days later," Velasco said.

Fuentes reportedly turned his back on the communist movement after learning that his comrades are planning to "get rid of him."

The two rebellion cases filed by the DOJ against 48 individuals who allegedly tried to overthrow the Arroyo administration was officially raffled off to the sala of two new Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) judges last Monday.