(Eagle News) — After citing the names of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and presidential son-in-law Manases “Mans” Carpio in a senate hearing on Thursday, customs broker Mark Taguba apologized in writing to the President’s family clearing the two of any involvement in bribery and illegal drugs smuggling.
The apology was contained in a statement sent by Taguba’s lawyer, Raymond Fortun.
In the statement, Taguba stressed that he did not testify that the young Duterte and Carpio — husband of Davao City mayor Sara Duterte — were involved in illegal drugs smuggling.
“I had never testified, nor will I ever testify that Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and/or Attorney Mans Carpio were involved in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country.”
“Neither have I testified, nor will I ever testify that the aforementioned individuals were involved in the ‘tara system’ that was in place at the Bureau of Customs,” Taguba said.
The 26-year old customs “fixer” said that that names of Paolo and Mans were just mentioned by two other alleged fixers who were only identified through the aliases of “Tita Nannie” and “Jack.”
The involvement of Paolo and Mans were mere “hearsay,” he said, as he did not really meet them or talk with them during his transactions with the Bureau of Customs.
“I also hereby apologize to Vice Mayor Duterte, Atty. Carpio and to the first family for the proliferation of fake news arising out of my testimony at the Senate yesterday,” Taguba said.
Those involved in the alleged “Davao Group” were Tita Nannie, Jack and a certain “Small” who was later identified by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as Davao City councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, Jr.
Trillanes also wanted the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to call Vice-Mayor Duterte and Atty. Carpio in the next hearing, but Senator Richard Gordon, the committee chair, rejected this saying there has to be further proof of the two’s involvement in the BOC issue.
Gordon earlier said that what Taguba said during Thursday’s hearing were “hearsay” and would only distract from the real focus of the Senate inquiry.
“Sa akin, hearsay mga narinig ko. I don’t want to be distracted from the drug issue. Once I finish the issue, we go back to the tara (issue) and maybe he (Trillanes) can put it there,” Gordon said.
Trillanes, on the other hand, downplayed Taguba’s statement clearing Davao City vice-mayor Duterte and Atty. Carpio of smuggling at the BOC.
“I can only imagine the pressure being applied on Mr. Taguba right now. But the hearing yesterday was seen on national TV so the public knows what he said or did not say,” said the opposition senator.
“The text messages he (Taguba) read aloud which named Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio were never forced on him and neither were they fabricated. Therefore, Mr. Taguba’s clarification doesn’t change anything,” he added.
Taguba made the clarification a day after the senate hearing where senators Gordon and Trillanes had a heated exchange.
