IKINOKONSIDERA ng Department of Justice (DOJ) ang pagsasampa ng kasong perjury laban sa self-confessed drug lord na si Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa.
Sinabi ni DOJ Undersecretary Adrian Sugay, tinitingnan ngayon ng Office of the Prosecutor General ang posibilidad na makasuhan o magkaroon ng pananagutan si Espinosa.
“Kasi nga magkaiba iyong kaniyang naging statement. I understand, he issued an earlier statement; it was under oath, and now he is recanting. I think that is something that Mr. Espinosa has to contend with. He has to answer iyong issue na iyan – anong nangyari? Bakit ganoon? And both statements, I understand, were made under oath and they are inconsistent,” pahayag ni Sugay.
Sa kabilang banda, sinabi ni Sugay na nag-isyu na ng statement ang Office of the Prosecutor General na nagsasabing, bagama’t mayroong ganitong affidavit si Espinosa, depende pa rin ito kung paano niya patutunayan ang kanyang mga sinasabi rito.
Una nang inilahad ni Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento na ang mga bagong pahayag ni Espinosa ay hindi makaapekto sa drug charges laban kay De Lima.
“I understand there are also pending cases for preliminary investigation against Mr. Espinosa. So, tinitingnan lahat iyan. But for now iyong kaniyang statement is there and whether or not it will affect iyong mga kaso against Senator Leila de Lima, I understand na ang statement ng Office of the Prosecutor General dito is that he is not a witness in any of the pending cases for a pending criminal cases against Senator Leila de Lima. So, under these circumstances sabi nga nila, hindi naman makakaapekto itong naging pahayag or iyong recantation ni Mr. Espinosa nung kaniyang mga sinabi against Senator Leila de Lima, at least, as far as these criminal cases pending against Senator Leila de Lima are concerned,” pahayag ni Sugay.
Samantala, ganito rin ang pahayag ng Malakanyang base sa inilabas nitong statement hinggil sa naturang isyu.
Ayon kay Communications Secretary at Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar, habang lumilitaw na binawi ni Kerwin Espinosa ang kanyang mga alegasyon laban kay De Lima, wala itong epekto sa mga nakabinbing kasong kriminal laban sa senadora.
“While Kerwin Espinosa appears to have recanted his allegations against Senator Leila de Lima, his recantation will not have any effect on the pending criminal cases against the lady senator,” ayon kay Andanar.
Giit ni Andanar, dapat na bigyang-diin ang sinabi ng Prosecutor General na si Mr. Espinosa ay hindi isang state witness sa drug cases ni de Lima.
“We have to underscore what the Prosecutor General said — Mr. Espinosa is not a state witness,” ani Andanar.
Una nang sinabi ni Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra na ang paglalahad ng ‘false statements’ sa ilalim ng panunumpa ay isang criminal offense.
