NBI agent airs side

MANILA, Philippines - Sir, this is in reply to the published column of Mr. Jarius Bondoc (Gotcha dated April 23, 2010 and June 16, 2010) and also to formally complain about the harassment being done by Provincial Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco against the undersigned. This continuous harassment by Prosecutor Velasco started in February 2010 when agents of this command presented for Inquest before the Provincial Prosecutor of Cavite Roderick Linao for Robbery, Usurpation of Authority and Illegal Possession of Firearm in relation to the Comelec Gun Ban. Pros. Velasco insinuated alleged anomalies regarding the above-mentioned case and included this unsubstantiated allegations in his letter complaint to the Hon. NBI Director Nestor M. Mantaring. However, said letter complaint contains malicious insinuations regarding the Reynolds case which until now, Velasco failed and continues to fail to present any credible evidence.

The Office of the Deputy Director for Regional Services acted on his letter complaint as early as March 2010 but Velasco failed to present any evidence to support his accusations. Instead of presenting evidence, Velasco called up most of the Deputy Directors of the NBI requesting that I be relieved from my post citing his malicious allegations as basis.

To avoid any notion of partiality, the Office of the Deputy Director for Regional Services (DDROS) then instructed the undersigned to comment on the letter of Velasco dated February 2010 and the undersigned faithfully complied and even attached documents to prove that the allegations are baseless.

Prosecutor Velasco, knowing that his complaint has no leg to stand on resorted to his cousin Jarius Bondoc of Philippine STAR to write about the undersigned insinuating thereat allegations of bribe taking. Not yet satisfied, Velasco was a guest on the radio program of Jarius Bondoc at DWIZ the following day making libelous statement against the undersigned.

After the media incident, Velasco again targeted the undersigned by issuing an unauthorized memorandum (March 10, 2010) addressed to the Honorable Director, NBI stating among others that he will not accept cases for Inquest and Preliminary Investigation referred by NBI Cavite pending the resolution of his baseless complaint against the undersigned. This prompted me to file an Ombudsman case against Velasco for grave abuse of authority and dereliction of duty (OMB-L-A-10-0271-D). NBI Cavite also arrested a cousin of Velasco (Edna Arayata) who is facing several cases for Estafa and Carnapping.

This infuriated Velasco and what happened is the second wave of negative media coverage against the undersigned even using Peter Ignacio who is a subject/respondent of a case filed by the undersigned for Falsifying NBI Confidential Agent Identification Cards and Estafa (the case is currently pending with the prosecutor’s office of Tagaytay City IV-20-INV-10B-00027). His alleged star witness Peter Ignacio is a small time crook who is also charged before the Regional Trial Court of Malolos, Bulacan Branch 16 for Highway Robbery. Peter Ignacio introduced himself as an NBI Agent when they robbed a certain Jose Lim and Ernesto Morales of 6 kilos of refined gold worth P3.5 million, cash and other personal items.

Prosecutor Velasco knows very well that his allegations cannot stand in any court of law. His action of getting Peter Ignacio and promising the latter help in the Falsification/Estafa Case filed by NBI Cavite once he testifies against me is deplorable and conduct unbecoming of a Provincial Prosecutor.

Please be informed also that Velasco requested a second investigation by the Bureau’s Internal Affairs Division and again, the undersigned presented material documentary pieces of evidence and testimonies of several witnesses to disprove the claims of the Provincial Prosecutor and that of his bogus witness who will do anything to please Velasco in exchange for the latter’s help. This is not the first time that Emmanuel Velasco wasted government time in his personal revenge against the undersigned. The undersigned is very much willing to thresh out any matter thrown by Emmanuel Velasco so as not to jeopardize the good relationship of two units under the Department of Justice.

I pray that you include my letter in your next newspaper publication to level the playing field as I am now a victim of a trial by publicity.