SEVERAL relatives of the missing sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts on Friday filed their counter-affidavits before the Department of Justice (DOJ) denying the obstruction of justice complaint filed against them for allegedly accepting bribe money to stop pursuing their cases against fugitive businessman Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang.
Among those who filed a counter-affidavit was Eloisa Bohol, mother of missing sabungero Kiel Bohol.
She denied being paid to abandon their pursuit for justice, noting that the cases for kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping and serious illegal detention filed before the Regional Trial Court in Sta. Cruz, Laguna against businessman Ang and several others have yet to commence.
Bohol assured that they are determined to pursue the case.
‘That’s true, we were not paid. We are not withdrawing from the case. There is still no hearing yet because our case in Sta. Cruz was transferred to Quezon City. We will continue to fight for our case,’ Bohol said.
Ryan Bautista, brother of missing sabungero Michael Bautista, also denied the allegation.
‘We are here for the preliminary investigation of the obstruction of justice case to deny that we received bribe money,’ Bautista said.
In their counter-affidavits, Cristy Ladao and Jocelyn dela Cruz also denied that they were bribed by the camp of Ang in exchange for dropping their case against him.
Dela Cruz’s son, Johnver Francisco, is one of the missing sabungeros and was the live-in partner of Ladao.
Both Ladao and dela Cruz confirmed meeting with Ang’s lawyer Caroline Cruz, who is also a respondent in the obstruction of justice complaint, in March and April this year.
Ladao and dela Cruz said they sought the meeting to discuss their predicament and not to demand any amount in exchange for dropping the case.
They added that there were other relatives of the missing sabungeros during the meeting held last March, including Bohol and Ma. Theresa Japag, who is one of the complainants in the obstruction of justice complaint.
Meanwhile, in her counter affidavit, Cruz denied bribing relatives of the missing sabungeros in exchange of dropping their cases.
Cruz claimed she was wrongfully charged and that the allegations against her lacked legal basis.
Ang’s lawyer claimed she was a victim of ‘malicious and false accusations made by the complainants based on lies and twisted narration of facts.’
‘Attorney Carlo’s meetings with relatives of the victims happened because they asked for them. It is an undeniable fact,’ Cruz’s lawyer Isabella Sabio said.
‘To say that a payoff ensued on those encounters is not only preposterous but also a product of a sinful imagination, which must be legally proven by the complainants,’ she added.
Sabio added Cruz merely accommodated the relatives of the victims who initiated the meetings last March and April when the group went to her office in Mandaluyong.
‘My client does not deny giving financial aid to the victims’ families during those meetings, for their fare and food, as they all came a long way. She only obliged out of the goodness of her heart,’ she added.
Sabio pointed out that there were no documents, no agreements signed nor demands made by Cruz when she gave the financial aid to the victims’ families.
Ang has been in hiding following the issuance of arrest warrants against him by trial courts in Sta Cruz in Laguna, Lipa City in Batangas and San Pablo in Laguna for several counts of kidnapping with homicide and kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges in connection with the missing sabungeros.