Security officials testify vs suspended guard who asked P20K from Napoles lawyer

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippines鈥揝ecurity officials have submitted affidavits pertaining to the alleged solicitation of money by a Sandiganbayan guard from the lawyer of accused pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

A security official, who requested anonymity, said in his affidavit that on Dec. 2, he heard accused security guard Ronald Allan Gole Cruz saying that he聽was able to secure a sum of solicited聽money.

鈥淎t around 10:40 a.m., Mr. Gole Cruz arrived at the said post and talked to Mr. Armando Astor saying, 鈥楶are, kung gusto mong magkapera, sama ka sa akin, malakihan 鈥榯o. (If you聽want money, come with me. This is a聽large sum).鈥櫬� That was what I clearly heard鈥︹€� the official said in his affidavit.
鈥淎fter that, I saw him holding an envelope coming聽from his pocket bearing the seal of Sandiganbayan and having a written message 鈥楳erry Christmas and a Happy New Year,'鈥� the聽witness added.

Another witness, who also requested anonymity, said he was at the backdoor post on Dec. 1 when Napoles鈥� lawyer Stephen David dropped by to claim his ID and told him he will give the money 鈥渇or the boys鈥� the next day.

鈥淚 stopped by the backdoor post for a while to observe therein when suddenly Atty. Stephen David arrived from his hearing upstairs to claim his ID from the guard on duty and told us 鈥極, bukas ko na lang ibibigay pamasko niyo ha! 鈥榊ung for the boys niyo, last week pa聽binigay sa akin 鈥榶ung sobre para sa Christmas party niyo聽(I鈥檒l give the Christmas cash gift tomorrow. This is for the boys. I was given the envelope last week for your Christmas party)鈥�,鈥澛爐he source told 黑料社聽as a portion of his affidavit.
The Sandiganbayan is investigating the purported grave聽misconduct prejudicial to public interest by Gole Cruz, who was placed under preventive suspension by the Supreme Court pending the investigation.

In a letter submitted to Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang and Associate Justice Samuel Martires, security officials聽accused Gole Cruz of soliciting P20,000 from David supposedly for a bogus Christmas party.

In the letter,聽Darwin Trinidad and Rodelio Lalongisip said Cruz first asked TV5聽cameraman Dave Gonzales to deliver a solicitation letter to Atty. David in the men鈥檚 comfort room.

David then allegedly gave Gole聽Cruz the solicitation money on Dec. 2, after Senator Jinggoy Estrada鈥檚 bail hearing.

The security personnel denied Gole聽Cruz鈥檚 claim that there was a scheduled Christmas party for the security staff.

鈥淲e are praying that this matter be given due course for we cannot afford to let one rotten tomato destroy the image of the entire security force,鈥� Trinidad and Lalongisip said.

Napoles faces plunder and graft charges for allegedly masterminding the elaborate scheme of diverting lawmakers鈥� Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost聽projects for kickbacks. She is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa female dormitory.

Also detained for plunder are Senators Ramon 鈥淏ong鈥� Revilla Jr., Jose 鈥淛inggoy鈥� Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile.