It just doesn’t wash

Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera, a co-accused of detained Senator Leila de Lima on drug charges who went into hiding for roughly two years, or about the time De Lima was charged and detained, has denied his being her nephew, insisted that he had never worked for her, and that he was once a police asset in the crackdown of drug lords inside the drug-infested New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Dera apparently came up with a counter-affidavit, which surprisingly was submitted by the camp of De Lima.

One would have thought that Dera would have had his lawyer, or himself, submit this to the court, and not to the De Lima camp, especially as he claims to be a police asset assigned to target Hans Tan, an inmate in the NBP.

Another inmate, Peter Co, had testified that Dera delivered P5 million twice to De Lima, representing money to fund the senatorial campaign of De Lima, but both Dera and his lawyer insist that he did not receive any money from Co.

Yet Dera admitted, however, that he did receive P1 million from an unnamed person

in a fast-food restaurant in Pasay City, but that the money was for Co’s relatives and that the money had nothing to do with the case.

Dera’s claim hardly rings true. His story just doesn’t jell. If he was a police asset for the NBP, why was he receiving money from Co, though a third party, even as he says the money was for the inmates’ relatives?

Dera should have immediately handed the claimed P1 million to the cops.

Then, too, why would Co, who earlier testified he had given Dera P5 million twice, even have handed over P1 million to Dera — and for his relatives?

It would have been easy enough for Co to give the money directly to his family members, who no doubt could visit him in prison. There was no need for him to hand over even P1 million for his relatives.

Dera’s story just doesn’t wash, even as claims to have used as his cover story his uncle having been the boyfriend of the senator to gain access to “big time” drug pushers inside the national penitentiary. And for that, he only gets P1 million? Who buys his story?

De Lima and her camp, for one, since Dera would have “cleared” her as his counter-affidavit denies he got P5 million twice from Co for her campaign.

As the detained senator’s lawyer Filibon Tacardon said, they welcome Dera’s arrest as it will not damage their case, but would instead strengthen it.

“He (Dera) will personally state that he does not deliver money to Senator De Lima and he has no connection with Senator De Lima,” Tacardon was quoted as saying.

Dera is De Lima’s co-accused on two charges of conspiracy to commit drug trading before Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branches 205 and 256.

Can Dera get out his case in the two courts just on the strength of his counter-affidavit that may have too many holes in it?

His lawyer claims he can as he has the documents proving that Dera, his client, was once a police asset. An asset gets documents stating he is a police asset? Hard to believe that the cops are that stupid to put it down in writing.

For a police asset, Dera certainly hasn’t been doing his job, accepting to be a drug delivery boy for Co and for Co’s relatives, whom he did not name. Then he goes into hiding when he is charged in court as a co-accused of De Lima.

It does look like those like Dera, who are suspected of having dealt in drug money for De Lima’s campaign, seem to go into hiding instead of facing the courts.

It can be recalled that the former boyfriend of De Lima was advised by her, as her texts to his daughter proved, to go into hiding and not testify before the House of Representatives.

The prosecution, under cross-examination, can easily tear apart the story of Dera who does not seem to be a credible witness, but it may have been his way of hoping to be dropped as a co-accused of the detained senator by the courts hearing the De Lima drug cases.

Dera’s lawyer Raymond Palad echoed his client’s claim that he worked as a police asset in 2016, which was the time De Lima was no longer Justice secretary, and that his client has the documents to back up his claim of having been in the employ of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

It’s a good story as stories go, but it should be asked, since Dera says he once worked as a police asset, why did he go into hiding for two years?

What was the purpose of his hiding, since he was once a police asset and must have a lot of contacts in the PNP, as he claims?

His story just doesn’t wash, just as De Lima’s claims of innocence does not wash — even when she continues to portray herself as an innocent victim.

“It’s

a good story as stories go, but it should be asked, since Dera says he once worked as a police asset, why did he go into hiding for two years?

“Dera’s claim hardly rings true. His story just doesn’t jell.