DAVAO COP CLAIMS DE LIMA OFFERED TO HELP HIM IN ADMIN CASE SUSPECTS NOGRALES-DUTERTE RIFT TIED TO IT

One of the policemen tagged in the supposed extrajudicial killings in Davao City claimed Monday that Senator Leila de Lima offered him help in his administrative case that was on appeal back in 2009 amid an ongoing political rift in the city.

Testifying before the Senate justice committee, SPO3 Enrique “Jun” Delos Reyes Ayao raised an incident in May 2009 wherein he was approached by a male staff of De Lima after attending a public inquiry in Davao on the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).

The inquiry was held by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), which De Lima chaired then.

“Sinabi niya sa’kin na gusto niya i-discuss namin yung development sa pagka-tanggal ko...Kinuha yung cellphone number ko at in-advise niya ako na mag-expect ng call from her in a few days,” Ayao narrated.

Ayao said days later, he recevied a call from De Lima, telling him that “she wanted to talk to me confidentially in a discreet place.”

He said almost a month later, another male staff called him telling him: “Alam namin yung kaso mo, pinagkaisahan ka dyan. Ibabalik ka namin sa serbisyo. Kami na bahala sa seguridad ng pamilya mo at lahat ng gastos.”

According to Ayao, the staff asked for his records with regards to his case on appeal before the National Police Comission, and that De Lima expected the said papers prior to meeting with then-Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Versoza.

He said he denied the help, although De Lima supposedly did not ask anything for exchange.

De Lima, for her part, said she couldn’t recall ever approaching nor talking to Ayao. She said, however, that records of the CHR would confirm that Ayao attended the CHR inquiry in May 2009.

'Wala kayong kasalanan'

After belaboring his point, Ayao was asked by De Lima what he was insinuating at.

“Ano ba gusto niyong palabasin dito? Ano ba ang kasalanan ko diyan, Kung totoo man?” De Lima asked.

Ayao replied: “Wala akong dapat palabasin dito. Wala kayong kasalanan kasi at tsaka wala kayong ginawang masama.”

Asked by the other senators what De Lima and his staff offered to him, Ayao said there was none. He then raised the political rivalry of then Davao mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte and then congressman Prospero Nograles, Jr.

“During that time, ito po kasing year ay kasasagan ng away ni Cong. Nograles at Mayor Duterte, so I came up into my small mind na ganun na po. Kung magbigay ako ng statement laban kay Mayor Duterte, eh ako ang maho-hot water po, syempre kay mayor,” Ayao said.

De Lima asked Ayao if he was insinuating that Nograles used the CHR against Duterte, and if the investigation on Davao killings were politically motivated.

“Sa akin po, exactly," Ayao said.

“I take offense; because I don’t do things with political color. It was just a matter of doing things as my duty,” De Lima replied.

Ayao had been tagged by confessed hitman Edgar Matobato in the murder of radio broadcaster Jun Pala in 2003 on the order of Duterte.

Ayao denied the allegation, saying Pala was his friend, and was even one of those who responded to an attempt on the life of Pala prior to the 2003 murder of the broadcaster.