GAPAN CITY – Mayor Ernesto Natividad of this city said the Office of the Ombudsman erred when it approved the supplemental resolution that provided for his indictment, along with 23 others, for the murder of five people in 2006.
In his motion for reconsideration filed last Friday, Natividad sought for setting aside of the Ombudsman review action dated Feb. 10, 2009 that adopted the resolution of State Prosecutor John Resadop of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“This Honorable Office totally failed to consider the subsequent affidavit he ( a certain P/Supt. Gerry Valeroso) on December 11, 2008,” the motion reads. Valeroso initially testified in a document that Natividad was in Manila on March 10, 2006. He later recanted the testimony.
But Natividad said Valeroso executed another affidavit, sworn to before Atty. Fe Palmiano-Salvador.
“This is to affirm my earlier affidavit,” Valeroso pertaining to Natividad’s presence in Manila on March 10, 2006.
A witness for the prosecution, Virgilio Malgapo, reportedly an aide of Natividad’s political nemesis, Rodrigo Pascual, said the mayor handed over to him P20,000 as downpay-ment of the P100,000 for his agreed participation in a raid at the Gapan Coliseum and Cockpit Arena.
The raid resulted to the death of Pascual sons Erickson and Ebertson, and three others.
The Ombudsman resolution that was made public last week also indicted Dalia Cruz, Jobert Dumlao, Crisanto Mateo, Dennis Matias, Romeo Natividad, Ricardo Peralta, Randy Puno and Lorenzo Rueda. The rest are unnamed.
Witness Malgapo alleged that the attack was hatched by the camp of Natividad out of politics.
He alleged that Peralta, a cousin of his wife, asked his participation in exchange of monetary consideration. He was instructed, according to him, to open the gate of the cockpit to give way for the entrance of armed assassins.
Natividad said he has never seen Pascual a threat to his political career. “he has not even declared that he would be running then,” he said.
“Kung may pagpapalanuhan, paano ka maniniwala na iimbitahan ng mayor sa bahay niya ang bodyguard ng kalaban niya at siya mismo ang mag-aabot ng pera? Ano’ng garantiya na hindi siya magsasabi sa amo niya?,” Natividad asked.
As ordered, Malgapo opened the gate as the armed men raided the compound. Malgapo was also shot in the head but survived. He later went into hiding.
Natividad also said the role played by Malgapo, if ever, in the incident was too great. “Tapos bigla ka lilitaw at sasabihin mo sa amo mo, ikaw ang nagpapasok sa mga taong pumatay sa dalawang anak niya at binayaran ka. Sapat bang tumestigo ka lang?” he stressed.
In his motion for reconsideration filed last Friday, Natividad sought for setting aside of the Ombudsman review action dated Feb. 10, 2009 that adopted the resolution of State Prosecutor John Resadop of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“This Honorable Office totally failed to consider the subsequent affidavit he ( a certain P/Supt. Gerry Valeroso) on December 11, 2008,” the motion reads. Valeroso initially testified in a document that Natividad was in Manila on March 10, 2006. He later recanted the testimony.
But Natividad said Valeroso executed another affidavit, sworn to before Atty. Fe Palmiano-Salvador.
“This is to affirm my earlier affidavit,” Valeroso pertaining to Natividad’s presence in Manila on March 10, 2006.
A witness for the prosecution, Virgilio Malgapo, reportedly an aide of Natividad’s political nemesis, Rodrigo Pascual, said the mayor handed over to him P20,000 as downpay-ment of the P100,000 for his agreed participation in a raid at the Gapan Coliseum and Cockpit Arena.
The raid resulted to the death of Pascual sons Erickson and Ebertson, and three others.
The Ombudsman resolution that was made public last week also indicted Dalia Cruz, Jobert Dumlao, Crisanto Mateo, Dennis Matias, Romeo Natividad, Ricardo Peralta, Randy Puno and Lorenzo Rueda. The rest are unnamed.
Witness Malgapo alleged that the attack was hatched by the camp of Natividad out of politics.
He alleged that Peralta, a cousin of his wife, asked his participation in exchange of monetary consideration. He was instructed, according to him, to open the gate of the cockpit to give way for the entrance of armed assassins.
Natividad said he has never seen Pascual a threat to his political career. “he has not even declared that he would be running then,” he said.
“Kung may pagpapalanuhan, paano ka maniniwala na iimbitahan ng mayor sa bahay niya ang bodyguard ng kalaban niya at siya mismo ang mag-aabot ng pera? Ano’ng garantiya na hindi siya magsasabi sa amo niya?,” Natividad asked.
As ordered, Malgapo opened the gate as the armed men raided the compound. Malgapo was also shot in the head but survived. He later went into hiding.
Natividad also said the role played by Malgapo, if ever, in the incident was too great. “Tapos bigla ka lilitaw at sasabihin mo sa amo mo, ikaw ang nagpapasok sa mga taong pumatay sa dalawang anak niya at binayaran ka. Sapat bang tumestigo ka lang?” he stressed.
