Alleged bribery to release Rolito Go investigated

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Public lawyer Persida Rueda-Acosta said yesterday an investigation was conducted on the reported allegation a “ranking official” in her office was bribed with P2 million to help facilitate the speedy release of murder convict Rolito Go from the national penitentiary through commutation of sentence for the killing of Eldon Maguan.

Acosta said she checked on officials who have accounts on the bank where the bribe money was supposedly deposited and found that none of them received the alleged amount.

“It’s really hard to investigate because the allegation did not have specific details on the official involved and the bank account, but I investigated on my own anyway. I told our directors and officials with accounts in (bank) to check if any of them was victimized by a setup but there was really none,” she said in an interview.

The head of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said that while she believes the allegation of the family of Maguan was purely a “rumor,” she opted to investigate just so they could disprove the report and put the issue to an end.

Acosta also showed to reporters her passbook in the same bank containing P184,000. “That allegation is very unfair to us. Go is not our client and our office has nothing to do with his application for clemency. If they (family of Maguan) are against clemency for Go they should just file an opposition to the Board of Pardon and Parole or Palace,” she lamented.

The PAO chief believes that the story on the P2-million bribery came from a party aggrieved in an earlier case handled by her office. She refused to elaborate, but stressed that she already has an idea of who the source of the rumor was.

“I already prayed for that person last night,” she added. The PAO also got support from Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez, who agreed with Acosta that the allegation was unlikely since her office does not handle Go’s application for clemency.

The family of Go had earlier denied the allegation. Julie Sy, sister of Go, has lamented the story on the allegation that came out in The STAR and which quoted an elder brother of Maguan was “a baseless report.” “Sana naman ay tigilan na nila kami lalu na sa pagpapakalat ng istorya na hindi naman totoo (I just hope they stop bugging us already especially by spreading a false story,” Sy appealed to Maguan’s family.

Sy revealed that they had paid P3,679,407.76 – but to the family of Maguan for damages in the civil aspect of the case. The amount was paid through a manager’s check of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation No. 0000003334 dated May 22, 2008 payable to Mrs. Rosario Maguan.

A photo copy of the sheriff’s report issued by court deputy sheriff Mario Tamang certifying the full payment of the civil aspect of the court decision issued last Oct. 22, 1993 to the heirs of the late Eldon Maguan. The check was received by Maguan’s brother Ellis at their house on 183 Maude street, San Juan City.

Citing unidentified sources, Ellis alleged that money changed hands for the release of Go. He said the money was deposited in the bank in Quezon City early this month. Ellis added that the PAO official promised Go’s relatives that “we will push and recommend to the Office of the President for Go’s release next month.”

The PAO official, he said, has appealed to President Arroyo to sign Go’s urgent petition for release as “the convict is now qualified for clemency and Go has been suffering long enough for that crime.” Go was sentenced in 1996 by the Pasig regional trial court (RTC) to reclusion perpetua or a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment for the death of Maguan, a De La Salle University engineering student, in Greenhills, San Juan.

Go has been asking for a presidential pardon and a commutation of his sentence, for the past three years.