Ex-DOJ clerk in Duterte 'drug matrix' surfaces to clear name

A man included in President Rodrigo Duterte's "drug matrix" has surfaced to deny his involvement in the supposed illegal drug operations inside the national penitentiary, an exclusive report on "24 Oras" said Tuesday.

In his report, GMA News' Ivan Mayrina said Jonathan Caranto also denied that he is ready to testify against Sen. Leila de Lima, the highest ranking government official in Duterte's drug matrix.

"Wala po dun sa salaysay ko na magwi-witness ako against [Senator Leila] De Lima, kasi wala naman po akong alam," he said.

The report said Caranto has known De Lima ever since she was chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and even when she became secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) where he worked as a clerk.

Justice Secretary Vitalliano Aguirre III had earlier bared through deposit slips that a bank account under Caranto's name in a BDO branch in Gracepark, Caloocan, has a P24-million deposit in it that is believed to be from the illegal drug trade.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Caranto went to the BDO branch to check on the existence of such account, the report said.

The report said a bank official confirmed that there is such an account but it was not named under one Jonathan Caranto and is not in that branch.

"Nakausap namin, together with my lawyer, pina-check namin kung may account na nakapangalan sa akin, pero wala naman daw pong account number tsaka account name na nakapangalan sa akin," Caranto said.

"Wala naman po talaga akong account, di naman ako nago-open ng account sa BDO," he added.

Sought for reaction, Aguirre said the DOJ is still verifying the bank account.

Caranto said he wants his name cleared for the sake of his family.

In a text message, De Lima said the fact that Caranto has no account in BDO is enough to prove his innocence.

"The next logical question is — saan nanggaling ang mga so-called checks na 'yan? From which factory of manufactured 'evidence' are they coming from?" she asked. —KBK, GMA News