‘Witness tried to force Boratong to drop kidnap raps’

The lawyer of alleged Pasig City shabu “tiangge” operator Amin Imam Boratong claimed yesterday that the government witness testified against his client to force his family to drop the kidnapping charges they lodged against him.

Boratong’s lawyer, Raymond Fortun, said a warrant of arrest was already issued by the Marawi City court against the witness, Samer Palao, for the killing of Cadar Sultan when he surfaced at the Department of Justice (DOJ) last July to detail the alleged drug peddling business of his client.

Sultan is a brother of Boratong’s wife, Memie.

Fortun said Palao’s testimony against Boratong was a form of leverage hatched by the former for the dismissal of the kidnapping charges against him.

During the resumption of the trial Thursday, Judge Abraham Borreta of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 154 allowed Fortun to continue his cross-examination of Palao to reveal Palao’s motive in testifying against his client.

Fortun pleaded that he be allowed to ask Palao four more questions about Boratong’s alleged drug peddling activities.

Palao admitted that he already had an arrest warrant for Sultan’s kidnapping when he turned up at the DOJ July 14 last year to reveal what he knew about the alleged shabu “tiangge” operations of his former boss, Boratong.

But he claimed the delay was because it took police investigators so long to get his statements on Boratong’s alleged illegal business.

Palao denied that he testified against Boratong in exchange for the dropping of the kidnapping charges against him.

When pressed by Fortun whether Palao is ready to stand trial for Sultan’s kidnapping after his testimony before Borreta, the witness answered in the positive.

Palao was also cross-examined Thursday by lawyer Sixto Balanquit, the lawyer of Boratong’s co-accused Sheryl Molera, who inquired whether the witness was schooled in self-defense techniques like karate, judo or karatedo.

Balanquit pointed out that while acting as Boratong’s security, Palao should also possess a license from Camp Crame.

When pressed by Balanquit whether he was armed with a weapon while securing Boratong, Palao said he owns a .40 caliber pistol and showed the court his firearms license and his permit to carry firearms outside residence (PTCFOR).

According to Balanquit, Palao met with Molera’s father, Romulo, outside the court before the trial started last July where the witness suggested to him that Sheryl turn her back on Boratong and testify against him.

But Palao said he and Romulo, whom he knew by face, only greeted each other and no conversation took place.

Meanwhile, lawyer Ruel Lasalla of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said they booked Boratong yesterday for the murder of GMA 7 television network informant Herman Colisao in November 2005.

Lasalla informed his counterparts at the Philippine National Police (PNP) that Boratong was subjected to fingerprinting and other procedures before returning his arrest warrant to Judge Nicanor Manalo Jr., of RTC Branch 161.

Boratong, who failed to attend the trial in Borreta’s chamber yesterday, will remain in the custody of the NBI.

Last May 23, Manalo issued an arrest warrant against Boratong, his wife Memie, Police Officer 2 Ramil Along and Nashir Labay, alias Buenas, for the killing of Colisao, whom they caught trying to get a video footage of the alleged shabu “tiangge” on Nov. 17, 2005. Memie, Along and Labay remain at large.

In Feb. 10 last year, government agents raided the alleged shabu “tiangge,” located in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas.  – Non Alquitran