Velasco bows to sacking, but insists info on Jonas is weighty

Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco welcomed Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’s decision to relieve him from a team investigating the abduction of activist Jonas Joseph Burgos. “Nobody’s indispensable…Kung ayaw n’ya sa ‘kin, wala akong magagawa (I can’t do anything if the secretary doesn’t want me in the team investigating the Burgos case)" said Velasco in an interview with GMANews.TV on Wednesday. He, however, said the information he provided on the six military men “are weighty and very important" in unlocking Burgos' case. Gonzales earlier said that the information from Velasco about the suspects were inaccurate. “Kaya nga pinapa-imbestigahan sa (That is why I had it investigated by the) NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), kaya nga pinapa-double check (that is why I had it double checked) because the information (on the suspects) are very important," Velasco said. On Monday, Velasco, chairman of the Presidential Task Force Against Media Harassment, identified the six military men as T/Sgt. Jason Roxas, Corporal Maria Joanna Francisco and M/Sgt. Aaron Arroyo and a certain TL, who are all from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp). The two others are First Lt. Jaime Mendaros and Lt. Col. Noel Clement of the 56th Infantry Battalion. The task force also wanted to know if the soldiers are linked to the abduction of the five supporters of former President Joseph Estrada or the so-called "Erap 5". Gonzalez, however, said "it was unfair for the organization (Isafp) concerned" to be dragged into the case, when Isafp chief, Major General Delfin Bangit, already denied that these individuals were under the intelligence service. - GMANews.TV