Another witness says Benhur Luy resisted NBI rescue

Benhur Luy, primary whistleblower in the alleged pork barrel scam, had resisted being rescued by government agents after he was allegedly kidnapped and detained by controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother in late 2012.

Peter John Castillo, driver of Napoles' brother Reynald Lim, told the Makati court at a hearing that he heard Luy tell his relatives and the National Bureau of Investigation (NB) agents that he was not kidnapped by “Jojo,” referring to Lim.

"Sa napansin ko po… parang ayaw niyang sumama sa pamilya niya. May narinig pa akong sinabi niya, 'Ayaw kong sumama sa inyo. Di totoong kinidnap ako ni Kuya Jojo'," Castillo said, adding that Luy talked loud enough for him to hear even from 15 meters away.

Luy was reportedly rescued by NBI agents on March 22, 2013 at the Pacific Plaza Tower, where Napoles allegedly detained him since December 19, 2012.

Castillo, 30, has been working as a family driver for Lim since 2012. Prior to that, he was employed by Napoles for three years. Helo was testifying at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150, which is hearing the serious illegal detention case against Lim and Napoles.

According to Castillo, Luy and Lim went to cafés and a fastfood outlet during the supposed period that Luy was detained. He said Luy acted "normal" during this time, adding Luy and Lim casually talked while they ate together.

Napoles is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City in connection with the serious illegal detention case filed by Luy.

Motion to view CCTV

Meanwhile, lawyer Bruce Rivera, Napoles' counsel, said they will ask the court this week to allow the viewing of the original copy of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that supposedly supports the testimonies that Luy resisted NBI agents.

"We will ask the court to allow to go to Pacific Towers and look at the original [footage]," he said in a chance interview with reporters.

This development came after prosecutors objected to the showing of the CCTV footage during the hearing, saying it was not the original copy.

Rivera said the prosecution opposed the showing of the CCTV footage “because it will clearly show that Benhur Luy did not want to go to his family.”

Two other witnesses

Also during the hearing, Pacific Plaza Towers general manager Adelyn Susan Carag, 57, said they cannot bring the original copy of the CCTV footage because it will "disrupt" their security operations.

Carag said she only brought the footage relevant to the case as to protect the privacy of their other clients.

CCTV operator and technician Madylon Habaña, 36, the one who recorded the footage, also testified before the court. He said he was the one asked by Lim to reproduce the copy of the footage of the alleged rescue.

Since the video was not shown, Habaña was not able to authenticate the CCTV footage.

To date, the defense has presented six witness. Rivera said they are planning to present more witnesses in the upcoming hearings.

The next hearing is set on September 26, Friday. It will continue the cross-examination of the prosecutors against Castillo. —KBK, GMA News