Inmates’ counsel denies clients were coerced to testify vs. De Lima

A counsel for some of the high-profile inmates who revealed Sen. Leila De Lima's alleged drug links denied on Wednesday the lawmaker's accusation that the witnesses have been forced to testify against her.

In a statement, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio took exception to De Lima's allegation that the witnesses have been either blackmailed, threatened, intimated and tortured to implicate her in the alleged proliferation of illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.

Topacio is lawyering for Noel Martinez, German Agojo, Joel Capones, Jerry Pepino, Jojo Baligad and Herbert Colanggo, who admitted before the House justice committee that he collected P3 million from his fellow inmates every month since October 2013 and gave the money to De Lima through her security aide, Joenel/Junel Sanchez.

“My clients have neither been threatened, cajoled, tortured nor intimidated, nor have they been subjected to torture, either physical or psychological," Topacio said.

"Also, her ridiculous claims that my clients have been plucked from the National Bilibid Prison to undergo interrogation at the ISAFP facility in Camp Aguinaldo is the stuff of which fantasies are made," he added.

Topacio also disclosed that his clients were moved from the NBP to the ISAFP facility as their lives were at risk, "knowing of the criminal capabilities" of De Lima's alleged henchman, Jaybee Sebastian, who shares Building 14 with them.

De Lima has since asked the Commission on Human Rights to look into "overnight interrogation sessions" to force the inmates to testify against her.

In response, Topacio dared De Lima to visit the inmates herself "not only to see whether they are under any form of torture or duress, but to confront them and look them in the eye and ask them if what they are saying is true."

"I will even accompany her to their detention facility, where we will all feel safe with her, since there are no kubols there,” he said.

De Lima has repeatedly denied allegations that inmates pooled money from illegal drug operations to bankroll her senatorial campaign early this year. 

She also warned critics supposedly fabricating evidence against her that their “day will come.”   — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News