MARICEL SORIANO TESTIFIES IN SENATE PROBE ON ‘PDEA LEAKS’
Actress Maricel Soriano testified on Tuesday, May 7, before the Senate panel on public order and dangerous drugs after she and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. were linked to illegal drugs, based on the supposed leaked confidential Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reports.
“Unang-una po hindi ko ho alam ‘yung tungkol sa mga dokumento. Nalaman ko na lang ‘yan nung pinakita sa akin dahil hindi po ako nagbabasa ng mga ganyan. Wala po akong alam,” Soriano said when asked if there was a truth in the said PDEA documents.
In her prepared statement, Soriano said she was confused about why she was invited to the hearing on the supposed leaked PDEA documents.
“Sa totoo lang po, hindi malinaw sa akin kung bakit ako naimbitahan sa hearing. Nagtataka lang po ako dahil lahat po ng tumestigo dito ay nagsabing hindi naverify ang impormasyon ni Mr. Morales at walang imbestigasyon na naganap. Pasensya na po kung nalilito po talaga ako dito,” Soriano said, referring to ex-PDEA intelligence officer Jonathan Morales, who testified before the Senate panel that he signed the alleged leaked documents linking the President and the actress to illegal drugs.
In the supposed leaked PDEA pre-operation report dated March 11, 2012, it was indicated that “a group of showbiz and politically affluent personalities are frequently using illegal drugs” inside a condominium in Makati City.
Morales clarified during the continuation of the hearing that there was a typographical error in the report regarding the condominium unit number.
While the management of the condominium refused to disclose the owner of the mentioned unit due to privacy reasons, Soriano confirmed that it was hers, but it was already sold in 2012.
“Opo, hanggang 2012 po. Nabenta ko na ho ‘yun. Wala na ako dun,” Soriano said.
The actress said she could not recall the exact month when the condominium unit was sold and reiterated that it was no longer hers in 2012 — the same year that was indicated in the supposed leaked PDEA preoperation report.
Upon the questioning of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate panel, Soriano also denied reports that two former household helpers, who lodged serious physical injuries against her, decided to flee from the condominium unit because of the actress’ alleged cocaine use.
“Hindi po totoo ‘yan,” Soriano explicitly denied.
According to the actress, her former household helpers left because they robbed her.
Asked if she physically abused her former household helpers, Soriano said, “Paano ko naman po bubugbugin, dalawa po sila?”
Confidential informant
At the same hearing, Morales said he had already forgotten the name of the confidential informant who gave him the information on Marcos and Soriano’s alleged links to illegal drugs.
This, as his credibility as a resource person, was questioned by Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
“Who is this confidential informant?” Estrada asked, to which Morales answered, “‘Di ko po maalala, your honor.”
Estrada was vividly agitated by Morales’ reply, saying the latter was destroying the reputation of the individuals that he tagged in the report.
“Anak ng patola! Alam mo ikaw, Morales, nagbabanggit ka ng pangalan ng mga personalidad, ultimo pangalan ng Presidente, ultimo pangalan ng iba’t ibang sikat na artista na wala ka namang ebidensya … Ang sinasabi mo galing sa informant. Ngayon, ang sinasagot mo sa ‘kin, hindi mo natatandaan kung sino ang informant mo? Am I correct? ‘Di mo natatandaan? Naninira ka lang ng tao e,” the actor-turned-senator said.
Morales explained that he just processed the information that his informant gave him and his “motivation” was the photos that were shown to him by the same person.
Even though he knew the persons he saw in the photos, Morales said he still asked for further details and context from the confidential informant.
Not on watchlist
PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo reiterated that Marcos and Soriano were never part of the agency’s drug watchlist.
Morales’ answers prompted Dela Rosa to ask him if he was just hesitant to disclose the identity of his informant because of the trust between the two of them.
The former PDEA intelligence officer said he was trying to remember the name but to no avail.
When asked by Dela Rosa to disclose the gender of his informant, Morales refused to give a categorical answer, saying that the person would be easily identified and the latter’s life might be put in danger if he answered the senator’s question.
But Dela Rosa said that if the confidential informant had already given his sworn statement, then the affidavit would be automatically considered as a public document.
“’Di mo na ‘yan matatago. Ngayon, are you just hesitant to break your code of honor, relationship with confidential information? Your reputation as a resource person is at stake here,” Dela Rosa warned.
Morales said he would reveal the gender if he was given assurance that he would not be incriminated, and he would not violate any constitutional right of the informant.
Dela Rosa even mentioned Morales’ online interview on April 30, where the latter supposedly said, “Dadalhin ko sa hukay ang pangalan ng confidential agent.”
Morales said he could not recall the exact statement that he made during the interview, reiterating that he could not remember the name of his confidential informant because it happened a long time ago.
Morales was even offered to divulge the gender through an executive session, but the former PDEA intelligence officer said he should be assured that he would not be incriminated.
As the senators failed to get a categorical answer from Morales, Estrada concluded that the former PDEA agent was “lying before the committee.”
“Alam mo, hindi kapanipaniwala ‘yung mga sinasabi mo dahil ‘yung ibang detalye alam mo, pero ‘yung ibang tinatanong namin hindi mo na alam, hindi mo na matandaan. Ultimo ‘yung gender ng confidential informant … ayaw mo sabihin. ‘Yung pangalan, nakalimutan mo, pero samantalang ‘yung ibang tinatanong way back, alam mo,” Estrada said.
“Alam mo Agent Jonathan, dito, we are ferreting out the truth. Ngayon, kung ‘yung sinisiwalat mo panay hearsay e, hindi ka namin pinaniniwalaan … Alam mo, nagsisinungaling ka e. ‘Wag mo naman idadamay ‘yung ibang mga personalidad na walang kinalaman,” he added.
Meanwhile, in his opening speech, actor-turnedlawmaker Senator Robin Padilla lamented that his fellows in the show business industry are being dragged into the issue of politics.
“Naaawa po ako sa artista. Kasi ako, banatan ako kaliwa’t kanan ngayon okay lang, pumasok ako sa politika. ‘Di ka pwedeng balat sibuyas dito … Sana sa pagkakataong ngayon ay isipin ng lahat na trabaho ang pag-aartista, hindi ito raket. Imahe. Nabubuhay kami sa magandang imahe. Ang trabaho pumapasok sa amin dahil sa magandang imahe,” Padilla, who assisted Soriano in attending the hearing, said.
“Ang pakiusap namin huwag sanang magkaroon ng kulay ang politika. Huwag naman. I-save naman ninyo ang mga artista, ‘di naman ‘yan laruan. Kapag may namatay na artista, vine-video pa ng pulis, pambihira. Tapos ilalabas sa internet at social media. Tao din yan, tao rin kami. Sana po kaunting kahit sabi nga ni [Fernando Poe Jr.], kahit kaunting pagtingin,” he added. Integrated News)