House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Saturday challenged the 18 former bodyguards of former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and repeat under oath their allegations that cash-filled luggage had been delivered to lawmakers and other personalities.
The challenge came days after the former Marine officers surfaced during a June 4 Senate hearing attended by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and other senators allied with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. During the hearing, they linked several lawmakers to the alleged cash deliveries.
Ridon said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Monday, June 8, to be chaired by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, would provide a proper venue to test the credibility of the allegations in a formal congressional proceeding.
“This is a challenge to the 18 former bodyguards. Magpakita sila doon sa Monday Blue Ribbon Committee hearing ni Blue Ribbon Chair Erwin Tulfo,” Ridon said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
“Ulitin po nila lahat ng mga binanggit po nila nito pong nagdaang pagpupulong,” added the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts.
Ridon stressed that the Monday hearing would place the witnesses under oath and subject them to formal questioning.
“Kasi ‘yung pong meeting sa Lunes will be made under full secretariat, will be made under oath. Kasi ito naman po yung talagang actual na pagpupulong,” he said.
He said appearing before the committee would allow lawmakers and the public to properly scrutinize the allegations and determine whether the witnesses were telling the truth.
“If they can subject themselves to congressional scrutiny under an official proceeding like what will happen on Monday, then doon natin mate-test kung talaga ho bang may kredibilidad ‘yung kanila pong sinasabi at hindi po sila nagsisinungaling,” he said.
Ridon said failure to appear before the committee would raise serious doubts about the credibility of their claims.
“‘Pag hindi po sila sumipot doon, eh malinaw na malinaw, wala hong kredibilidad, purong kasinungalingan po ‘yung ginawa po noong nagdaang pagpupulong,” Ridon said.