Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday said he will ask the Senate to subpoena inmate Jaybee Sebastian to a legislative investigation on the stabbing incident at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Trillanes, along with Sen. Leila de Lima, had filed a resolution directing the proper Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the “apparent mismanagement and/or incompetence” of the NBP by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) leading to the a supposed riot inside Building 14.
The resolution also seeks a probe on the alleged “isolation, intimidation, maltreatment, torture and other alleged human rights violations” committed by the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) on inmates.
While the resolution has yet to be referred to a committee, Trillanes said he already has a list of resource persons in mind, which would include Sebastian.
“Ipapatawag natin ang mga person involved tulad nina Jaybee Sebastian, Mr.
[Herbert] Colanggo, yun NBP officials para mapaliwanag nila kung bakit nangyari ito,” Trillanes said, referring to convicted bank robber-murderer Herbert Colanggo.
Sebastian, through his lawyer, however, has said that he was open to talk but only to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Trillanes said Sebastian would have no choice but to attend a Senate inquiry if a subpoena is issued to him.
“Wala namang magagawa si Mr. Jaybee Sebastian kung ipapatawag sila ng Senado para malaman kung ano yung nangyayari ngayon dyan...Hindi naman ang abugado ang magpapasya nyan,” he said.
Trillanes said Duterte’s allies should be in favor of a Senate investigation if they want to know the truth behind the NBP incident.
“Dapat interesado sila dito. Dapat ang mga kaalyado rin nila sa Senado gusto ring malaman ang katotohanan through Mr. Jaybee Sebastian,” he said.
Chinese drug lord Tony Co died, while three other high-profile inmates, Sebastian, Peter Co and Vicente Sy, were hurt in a stabbing incident inside the NBP Building 14 Wednesday morning.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the prison “riot” started after another inmate, convicted police officer Clarence Dongail confronted Tony Co’s group, who were allegedly using shabu inside their prison cell.
As of Thursday morning, Sebastian was already in stable condition but still under observation at a Muntinlupa hospital.
De Lima earlier casted doubt whether the incident was a “riot” among high-profile inmates, suspecting that it could be one of the government’s “mafia tactics” to scare prisoners who refuse to testify against her.
She said Sebastian, supposedly a government asset, was one of the prisoners whom authorities failed to convince.
But according to other inmates presented as witnesses by the DOJ in a House committee hearing, Sebastian collected drug payoffs on De Lima’s behalf.
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