(Eagle News) — The Davao councilor being tagged as part of the supposed Davao Group engaged in illegal activities in the Bureau of Customs has denied the allegations against him.
In an affidavit submitted to the Senate blue ribbon committee, Nilo “Small” Abellera said that he “ha(s) no knowledge, let alone any participation (in the entry) of the shabu shipment from China.”
He was referring to the P6.4-billion drug shipment that entered the country via Customs express lanes, and which is the subject of an ongoing investigation in the blue ribbon committee.
Abellera also denied fixer Mark Taguba’s allegations he was a member of the so-called Davao Group Taguba allegedly had dealings with to facilitate the movement of his shipment through Customs.
He also denied that he received P5 million as enrollment fee from Taguba for the so-called Davao Group, and that the fixer gave the so-called group P1 million through a certain Jack.
He also denied knowing a so-called Tita Nannie or Tita Nani, who also reportedly received grease money from Taguba.
According to Abellera, although he did “casually” meet a certain “Jack” late last year, he does not know his surname nor his “other personal circumstances.”
“I received a call from this certain Jack requesting for a meeting. This was late in the afternoon. As I was not busy that day, I agreed to meet Jack at a resto bar in Davao City later, early evening,” he said.
He said when he got to the meeting, Jack was “already accompanied by a young person whom I didn’t know at that time.”
The councilor said Jack told him that he was representing a “certain Customs broker” and asked him if he could arrange a meeting with Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.
“Knowing that the vice mayor does not involve himself with such matters, I politely told him that I could not arrange such a meeting,” Abellera said.
He said it was then that Jack introduced him to another person, who turned out to be Taguba.
“After about five to ten minutes, I excused myself from the two gentlemen and left,” he said.
“I vehemently deny (the allegations which are) false, baseless and malicious,” he added.