Senate hearing witness' evidence vs. Makabayan bloc perjured —Zarate

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate said Sunday that the pieces of evidence presented by a supposed ex-rebel witness at the Senate  hearing last Tuesday on the alleged links of the Makayan bloc to communists are "perjured."

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Zarate said that the supposed ex-New People's Army member Jeffrey Celiz, and now government "star witness" against the progressive bloc in the House of Representatives, made up false and baseless claims during the hearing.

Zarate also expressed hope that Congressional hearings would not be used as venue to make public false accusations.  "Huwag naman sanang gamiting lunsaran ng mga false accusation at mga ebidensya na 'perjured.'"

Yung star witness na si Celiz, previously nagpakilala si Eric Almendras ... yung mga nakakilala sa kanya, nag-call out sa mga false statements niya, gaya ng nanggaling siya ng University of the Philippines, na member siya ng kung anu-anong left-leaning organizations, etc."

"Then he changed his narrative ... pinalitan niya nang ma-point out na, in fact, in August 2016 he was named by president Duterte na drug protector sa Iloilo city, at nagtago siya."

Zarate pointed out that the allegations against the Makabayan bloc are old accusations which they have already debunked in 2019 during debates  occasioned by the midterm polls.

He challenged their accuser to file cases against them in court. "Dalhin niyo sa proper venue where we can confront your witnesses and cross examine them under oath ...  hindi yung sa social media.  The courts are bound by strict rules of evidence."

Former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares, in a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV said that Celiz lacks personal knowledge to make his accusations substantial.

"Personal knowledge ang hinahanap diyan sa ebidensya mo kasi madali lang naman sabihin na ‘’Yan, ‘yan siya (NPA).’ Paano mo nalaman? Nag-meeting ba kayo? Saan? Kailan?” Colmenares said, adding, "...May problema tayo dyan.”

Like Zarate, Colmenares said that Celiz should just file a case before a court if he really has enough evidence to prove his allegations.

Members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Tuesday skipped a Senate committee's hearing on the alleged red-tagging by the military and also encouraged their accusers to just file a case against their groups.

“For years na 'yan e, the same allegation, the same answer namin ... paulit-ulit,” Colmenares said.   —LBG, GMA News