Jamby Madrigal: ‘Kuryente ang impormasyong pinagkakalat ni Aguirre’

Former Senator Jamby Madrigal on Friday brushed off allegations that she was among those behind the P100-million offer for high profile convicts to recant their testimonies on Senator Leila De Lima’s alleged drug links.

Madrigal, who is currently overseas, said she had never met or is related to Lalaine Madrigal Martinez, wife of Noel Martinez, one of the inmates who implicated De Lima in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. 

According to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, it was Lalaine Madrigal Martinez who informed him that the former senator had made the offer to the inmates currently detained at Camp Aguinaldo. 

“Hindi ko siya kilala at lalong hindi totoong kinausap ko siya [Marlyn] para mag-alok ng anuman. ‘Kuryente’ ang impormasyong pinagkakalat ni Aguirre,” Madrigal said in a statement. 

She hoped that Aguirre was not losing his mind as she reminded the Cabinet official not to engage in peddling “conspiracy theories.” 

“The head of the Department of Justice is supposed to be ensuring not just the rule of law, but sobriety in its application. He is not supposed to be in the business of peddling conspiracy theories, much less engaging in character assassination,” said Madrigal, who ran under the Liberal Party during the 2013 elections.

Madrigal said Aguirre's statements were “baseless, malicious, without foundation in fact or logic” and a “great disservice to the administration he claims to serve.”

“If he did not make up these lies himself, then someone in his staff is feeding them to him. Either that or, simply because the name of the wife of an alleged drug lord was Madrigal Martinez, Mr. Aguirre suddenly believed I was somehow implicated,” she said.

“One has to wonder what is worse: to believe fantasies or to make accusations on the basis of such fuzzy logic. In either case he owes me an apology. Otherwise I may have to seek legal action to clear my family’s good name,” Madrigal added.

The former senator said she and President Rodrigo Duterte "have known each other personally for many years" and she believes the President would not think she would get involved in the alleged bribe offer.

Aguirre had said Madrigal and Laguna Rep. Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat were behind the offer, which has since been rejected by the inmates.

He added the inmates were offered to recant on or before February 25 so that opponents of the government could use it to drum up support for another people power revolt.

Alonte has denied Aguirre’s allegation. — RSJ, GMA News