Abejo maintains innocence: ‘I did not ask them money’
Nitz Arancon1 min read
By NITZ ARANCONCorrespondent
GENARD Abejo, the prosecution office administrative aide who was arrested on suspicion of being a case fixer, has claimed that the women who complained against him just left a bundle of money wrapped in a piece of paper on a table after meeting with him in a convenience store in Gusa last week.
In an exclusive interview with Abejo on Tuesday night, Abejo maintained his innocence even as he strongly denied allegations that he asked the complainants money in exchange for the dismissal of the rape and qualified anti-child pornography complaints filed against the women’s children at the City Prosecutor’s Office.
“Wala ko mangayo nila, sila ang nag-offer sa ako nga na-a silay ihatag kay magpatabang sa kaso sa ilang anak kon unsay ilang buhaton,” Abejo told the Gold Star Daily.
His lawyer Alejandro Jose Pallugna accused the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of “instigation,” asserting that what the arresting officers carried out on Friday was not an entrapment.
“Gi-instigate nila sa CIDG kay na-a ba diay entrapment nga pagdakopsa suspect, wala na diha ang complainant,” Pallugna said.
Abejo bailed out for P130 thousand on Tuesday in connection with two complaints filed against him for violation of the anti-graft law and robbery/extortion.
Pallugna laughed off the robbery complaint against Abejo, arguing that the complainants were never robbed.
“Sila man ang nagbilin sa kuwarta. Na-a ba diay robbery nga ang kuwarta, gibilinsa imong atobangan unya ang gibinlan, wala masayod unsa tong gibilin?” Pallugna asked rhetorically.
The Regional Prosecutor’s Office has ordered an investigation into the Abejo case which, regional prosecutor Jaime Umpa said, exposed a “syndicate” in the City Prosecutor’s Office.