(Eagle News)– Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday (September 15) denied the request of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to place self-confessed killer and witness Edgar Matobato under Senate protection.
According to Pimentel, there was no Senate rule that would justify giving protective custody to Matobato.
“I intend to run the Senate based on Rules. I’ve denied the request for protective custody of the witness Motabato because there is no Senate rule to justify it,” he said.
“There’s even no showing that his life or safety is threatened. Worse, the witness’s testimony is not even relevant to the resolution being investigated,” the Senate President added.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, one of the senators who inquired Matobato, believes that the ‘surprise witness’ was lying before during the Senate hearing.
“Kita natin sa pagtatanong ng senador, sa pagtatanong ko, sa pagtatanong ng iba, hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi niya. Kung meron siyang sinasabing totoo, ‘yan ang hindi ko alam—alin doon?” Lacson stressed.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II seconded the senator’s views, branding Matobato’s claims as “lies and fabrications”.
“The statement of witness Edgar Matobato today before the Senate Committee on Justice Hearing on Extrajudicial Killings are lies and fabrications,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre added that De Lima’s display of Matobato to the Senate is a “futile attempt to divert the public’s attention against the parties who are responsible for drugs in the BuCor (Bureau of Corrections)”.
On Friday (September 16), Aguirre revealed that convicted drug leader Herbert Colangco and other high-profile inmates will testify on De Lima’s drug links at the New Bilibid Prison.
