Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 30) – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) security officer who escorted detainee Jad Dera outside the detention facility claimed he got his superiors’ approval to bring the co-accused in the drug case of former Senator Leila de Lima to a hospital for his check-up.
In his counter affidavit, security officer Randy Godoy noted the approval came with two conditions: Dera will be escorted and they will use a marked vehicle.
Godoy also admitted that they had dinner in Makati.
“The act of dining outside does not fall under the contemplation of Infidelity under Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code,” he argued.
“Worth noting is the fact that after the said dinner at Makati City, all the respondents went back to the NBI,” the employee also said.
“While there may be irregularities in the events that transpired, they are only administrative in nature, but not criminal,” he added.
Godoy said the 10-thousand-peso cash belongs to him, insisting that complainant NBI merely assumed that was Dera’s payment to them.
Godoy also explained that there was no evidence the money was solicited and that it was given in consideration of the commission of some crime. He said the NBI has not presented any eyewitness to prove its allegation that he received money from Dera in exchange for allowing the latter to go outside.
READ: DOJ: Bilibid alerted over inmates’ trips outside NBI detention facility
As for the five other security personnel who are job order contractors, they said they left the detention facility based on their immediate supervisor’s order.
“Walang ‘escape’ na naganap. Bagama’t maaaring may mga iregularidad sa mga pangyayari na naganap, ang mga ito ay administratibo lamang, hindi criminal,” the counter-affidavit read, explaining that they were asked to bring Dera to a hospital using an NBI vehicle.
They added they were able to leave and enter the NBI compound without any resistance from any division, unit or section – even from those manning the gates.
Dera, meanwhile, stated in his counter-affidavit that NBI failed to prove that the money seized from Godoy constituted his “offer, promise, or gift.”
“Sa affidavits ng lima o anim na jail escorts, wala pong umamin doon na binibigyan sila ng pera or lumalabas sila in consideration of any gift or promise,” Dera’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, said. “So wala nagtuturo na kaya lumalabas ay dahil sa pera.”
[Translation: In the affidavits of the five or six jail escorts, none of them admitted that they were given money or that they were going out in consideration of any gift or promise. So, no one is pointing out that he’s going out because of money.]
