Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima’s camp has deemed prosecution witness and Bilibid inmate Engelberto Durano as “not credible” because of the numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in his testimony before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 256.
Last Dec. 15, the Department of Justice (DOJ), after three consecutive hearings of no-show witnesses, was finally able to present its witness, convicted inmate Durano, in Criminal Case No. 17-167.
Atty. Rolly Francis Peoro, De Lima’s legal counsel, said that Durano contradicted his previous testimony during his cross examination, thereby casting serious doubts on the latter’s claim that he delivered money to Senator De Lima.
It may be recalled that in October 2019, Durano, convicted of Murder and Frustrated Murder, testified that he allegedly delivered money to then DOJ Secretary De Lima inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) sometime in December 2014 or weeks before the biggest raid in NBP led by the former justice secretary.
“The Court’s stenographic notes will easily show that Durano’s testimony is full of contradictions. The alleged delivery is simply incredible, even a layman can easily detect the lies,” Peoro said.
“It actually reminds us of the quote of Senator Roco regarding falsities where he said that ‘the problem with lies is they do not only quarrel with the truth. They also quarrel among themselves,’” Peoro added.
While Durano claimed that the funds came from an alias “Jaguar,” whom he said was a drug lord, Peoro said that the former admitted that he has no personal knowledge of his transactions.
Jeffrey Diaz or “Jaguar” was killed by policemen in a shootout in Las Piñas City in June 2016.
“Durano earlier testified that the money he delivered was sourced from illegal drug transactions days before the December 15, 2014 Inter-Agency major raid planned by the ISAFP, PDEA, PAOC, NBI and PNP. However, on cross-examination, he testified that the money was sourced from a stand by fund that came from outside the NBP, of which Durano, an inmate, could not exactly determine the source,” Peoro said.
Peoro said that Durano also categorically denied that he was or is engaged in drug transactions, with the latter adding that he has no drug-related transaction of whatever nature with De Lima or any of the accused.
“Durano mentioned that his testimony can no longer be corroborated because the persons he said communicated with him are now dead and their text messages and phone calls can no longer be established because the phones he said he used are no longer with him,” Peoro stated.
Peoro further cited several inconsistencies during Durano’s cross examination, which include, among others, issues on heightened and strict security measures.
“Durano testified that as a common practice in NBP, heightened and strict security measures, with full security detail, are always provided to all VIP visitors in the NBP, specially to the Secretary of Justice. BUCOR officials from the Superintendent, the Commander of the Guards to BUCOR guards, and Durano and his group of former police officers under the prison group Kalasag were tasked to secure the Secretary,” Peoro narrated.
“However, on the alleged day he delivered money to then Secretary De Lima, she was inside the headquarters of the Commando gang, in the company of hardened criminals, with only two security details,” Peoro added.
Peoro also recalled how Durano affirmed that NBP is very dangerous place where gang rivalry is rife and violence is a way of life, but he supposedly managed to sneak in a gift wrapped shoe box without inspections from the rival groups and / or prison guards.
“He said he learned of the grenade blast that injured six inmates. However, he alleged that he was able to easily bring a gift wrapped shoe box several buildings away to the sanctum of the Commando Gang where then Secretary De Lima was, without encountering any inspection from the rival groups or BuCor guards,” Peoro shared.
De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, attended the hearing via teleconferencing from her detention quarters at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
She recently filed a motion for bail before the Muntinlupa RTC, Branch 256, highlighting the weakness of the prosecution’s evidence against her. It is her third motion for bail in relation to the trumped-up drug charges filed against her. (30)