(Eagle News) — A woman who was allegedly being developed as a witness to be presented to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Duterte by senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima, has come out in the open to denounce the actions of the two senators and a Catholic priest who was allegedly tasked to look for witnesses against Duterte.
The witness is Guillermina Barrido Arcillas, a former Liberal Party supporter, who held a press conference in Davao City despite alleged threats coming from the camp of Senator Trillanes, warning her not to come out.
In the press conference, Arcillas explained how Trillanes and De Lima, through Atty. Jude Sabio, lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, were pressuring her to sign an affidavit that would be used against President Duterte at the International Criminal Court by Atty. Sabio.
Sabio had said early March that he was preparing to file a case against President Duterte before the ICC.
Arcillas claimed that the affidavit she was being asked to sign had been reviewed and had undergone several revisions done by Senators Trillanes and De Lima.
Arcillas said the group wanted her to testify against Duterte because of her ties with a Davao City councilor, Pilar Braga. She also had pictures with President Duterte, and has the contact number of Duterte’s trusted aide, Christopher “Bong” Go.
“Ako yung pinuntahan nila para manira kay PRRD,” said Arcillas. She claimed that she has messages from the priest, Albert Alejo, and email messages from Atty. Sabio that would show it was them who had approached her regarding Duterte and had been pressuring her to sign the affidavit against Duterte.
Senator Trillanes, in a press conference on Thursday, admitted Arcillas was interviewed by his staff member last year. He, however, claimed that it was Arcillas who had approached them so she could testify against Duterte.
“I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but basically, she didn’t pass the test,” Trillanes said of Arcillas.
“Ang taong ito, nagparating sa amin ng mensahe na meron daw siyang sasabihin na negatibo laban kay President Duterte. So meron kaming proseso ng pag-ba-background check. So dinaan namin sa ganuong proseso. Sabi nung mga nag-check sa kanya, eh kaduda-duda yung kanyang mga statements, kaya hindi na namin itinuloy,” Trillanes said.
He also tried to downplay Arcillas’ allegations, as he denied that he had tried to pressure her into signing an affidavit that would pin down Duterte on drugs and other cases.
Arcillas, in her press conference in Davao City, detailed the emails made by Atty. Sabio to her about the draft affidavits that would supposedly pin down Duterte.
She said Sabio had been emailing to her the draft affidavit that was allegedly being reviewed and checked by both Trillanes and De Lima.
She said that the draft affidavit she was being forced to sign was revised at least 15 times.
Arcillas said Trillanes’ group wanted her to testify against Duterte and his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte on alleged drug shipments which, Arcillas, said were not true.
She claimed she was also offered P500,000 if she testifies before the Senate against Duterte on supposed allegations that would pin down the President over drugs and a supposed illicit relationship with a city councilor who was her relative. She said another P500,00 was promised if she testifies before the ICC.
In December 2016, she was allegedly brought to a convent in Manila where Trillanes’ and De Lima’s star witness, Matobato, was also being kept then.
“Mayroon silang pinadala sa akin na draft affidavit. Nung time na yun, na-shock ako sa draft affidavit kasi unang una may relasyon daw yung City councilor and sa PRRD, at nakita ko merong drugs na ini-involve nila sa President Duterte,” Arcillas said during the press briefing on Wednesday, April 5, in Davao City.
“Nagtanong ako bakit may drugs? Kasi nga daw hindi na maniniwala ang tao sa EJK. So dapat yung drugs naman,” she said recalling what the group had told her.
“First draft sabi nya, ito ha, ipapasa ko sa iyo, pero mamaya na ipapa-approve ko muna kay Senator Trillanes at Senator De Lima. Tapos, pangalawa, hindi uulitin ko na naman, so second draft na naman, hanggang nag-third draft, fourth draft, hanggang nag-decide sila na pumunta raw akong Maynila,” she said recalling what lawyer, Sabio, allegedly told her.
Arcillas said she was approached by Trillanes’ group, through Catholic priest Alejo, who allegedly paid her several times so she could cooperate with them.
She said this was wrong, but that she went along, as she needed the money. She said she also wanted to know what was going on then in this group allegedly controlled by Trillanes.
“Ang reason bakit pumasok ako sa kanila ay dahil gusto ko talaga malaman ano ang meron sa grupo nina Senator Trillanes. Noong December, andun ako, pinatira nila ako sa kumbento ng madre sa Makati. Bago nila ako pinadala dun, kinausap nila ako — ‘Huwag ka makikipag-usap pagdating mo dun. Ito sasabihn mo sa kanila. So yun ang sinasabi ko, kasi kada salita ganun. Tao lang tayo, sige maglaro tayo sa isip ko lang,” Arcillas said.
Arcillas claimed that while in the convent in Makati she was being given food, while the affidavit was being prepared. She also saw Matobato there.
It was also then that she allegedly met Trillanes and De Lima.
“Nirerecord nila sa audio yung pinagsasabi namin para matakot kami na bumaliktad daw,” Arcillas said.
She said that when she was being asked to sign the affidavit at the convent, she made the excuse that she had to go back to Davao so she would look for the others who will testify against Duterte too.
Arcillas claimed Trillanes had even texted her warning her not to turn against them. She was also warned by those in the group that she does not have the right background for her to be believed if she spills the beans on them.
She said that the priest was giving her P20,000, sometimes P30,000, and that if the amounts would be totaled it would reach around P300,000.
She said that the offer for her to testify for a fee at the senate in the amount of P500,000 was also made to senate witnesses Matobato and Lascanas.
Meanwhile, Trillanes, in his press conference presented the video taken during a meeting with Arcillas in November last year, to discredit Arcillas.
Trillanes said that Matobato’s lawyer, Atty. Sabio was present in the said meeting, along with one of his staff members, and the priest Alejo.
The senator further claimed that Arcillas could be part of a “propaganda” against them, and that she could have been a “planted” witness.
“I’m beginning to think na baka ito ay tinatanim sa ‘min kung kakagat kami tapos ilalabas namin tapos babaliktad later on,” Trillanes said.
