A ‘witness’ against a policeman in the killing of the brother and father of self-confessed illegal drug personality Ricky Serenio recanted his earlier statement, Saturday.
A woman “whistleblower” meanwhile said she is asking the help of President Rodrigo Duterte in “ending a politician’s involvement in illegal drugs”.
Raffy Aquiling told reporters that he decided to recant his statement because he is being bothered by his conscience.
Aquiling said he was not even at the scene of the crime when the incident happened.
He said that it was Serenio himself who approached him and talked him into signing an affidavit accusing SPO1Joshua Barile as responsible for the killing of Serenio’s brother Wilmar and father Wilfredo, last year.
Aquiling’s testimony and that of another witness were used in the filing of murder charges against Barile.
Barile has since denied any involvement in the crime.
Aquiling, in Saturday’s press conference of Task Force Kasanag (TFK) and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) at a hotel in Bacolod, said he was given P10,000 by Serenio.
Serenio was released from detention in March last year after posting bail of P400,000 for the case of illegal possession of explosives filed against him.
Serenio has admitted he was with the Berya Drug Group before.
“Akon ginabawi ang akon panaysayon batok kay SPO1 Joshua Barile kay ako gina tublag sang akon konsensia kay sadto nga tiempo ako gin pilit lang ni Ricky Serenio kag gintagaan P10,000 kag allowance nga P10,000 kada bulan baylo sang akon pagbinutig,” Aquiling said as he also asked Barile to forgive him.
In the same TFK-VACC press conference, a woman whistleblower named “Alias Mariani” said she is asking the help of President Rodrigo Duterte to put an end to what she claimed is the involvement of a politician in illegal drugs in the province of Negros Occidental, and for the continuing threats she is getting.
“… This is our third press conference because after the first and second press conferences, although nothing came out in the media … the threats kept coming… this third one … because threats have escalated,” the whistleblower who did not give her name said in the dialect.
She named a politician as “the king of all drug lords in the province”.
She claimed that she has been a drug courier since she was 15 years old and
her father, a former bodyguard of the politician, knew much about the “illegal activities” of the politician.
She added that she has been privy to the illegal activities of the politician, not only in illegal drugs but also in other crimes.
She claimed her life is under threat but said she has to come out and expose the politician she said “is the cause of trouble in Negros”.
She said she is asking help from the President.* (NDB)
IN PHOTO, “witness” Raffy Aquiling, and “whistleblower” Alias Mariani.*(NDB)