The Philippine Online Chronicles

Alberto Agra has denied knowledge of an attempt to bribe a Maguindanao Massacre witness while he was still Justice Secretary.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Counter-Terrorism Unit chief Ricardo Diaz recently reported that he was approached by retired Air Force colonel Juanito Mariano, who wanted access to massacre witness Kenny B. Dalandag, a former Ampatuan private army member who has since submitted an affidavit stating that the gruesome elections-related slaying of 57 people was planned in advance at the home of Ampatuan patriarch Andal S. Ampatuan, Sr.

Diaz said that Mariano was going to offer Dalandag P10 million to retract his statement. The NBI official added that he denied Mariano’s request and filed a report of the incident to the office of the Justice Secretary.

Current Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has questioned why neither Agra nor former NBI chief Nestor Mantaring failed to act on the report, saying that charges could be pushed against both for their inaction.

However, Agra denied receiving such a report.

“When I issued the resolution finding probable cause against the four Ampatuans upon further evidence submitted by private respondents, I was then committed to prosecute the case with earnestness and vigor,” Agra said in a statement.

Agra added that he only found out on Friday that such a report was ever filed, and that it did not come from Diaz but from a different deputy director. He added that the report was not sent to the Office of the Secretary but to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Witness Protection Security and Benefits Program, whose director Leo Dacera has supposedly acted upon the report at his own level without elevating it.

Mantaring has also said that he knew nothing about the Diaz’s report.

“An attempt to bribe a key witness will certainly frustrate this commitment, and I will not allow this to happen. Consequently, had I known of this callous attempt to bribe a witness, I would have ordered a deeper investigation,” he added.

Agra added that he is open to any investigation into the reported bribery attempt.

“I am open to any probe in order to shed more light on this deplorable incident,” he added.