BRIBE PROBE PRESSES RESADOS

Lawmaker To Summon Spouse Of Prosecutor

The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs plans to summon the wife of
beleaguered State Prosecutor John Resado to a hearing investigating the
alleged bribery in the "Alabang Boys" drug case.

Earlier on Friday, Resado testified in the House that the large deposit he
made on the day his office dismissed the "Alabang Boys" case was mere
coincidence. He even turned the tables on the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), accusing its lawyer of offering him a bribe--a charge that
was disputed.

Lawmakers want to probe deeper into a tip sent to the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) that accused the prosecutor of making suspicious,
large bank deposits. And this time, the committee would summon the
prosecutor's wife, Rowena Resado.

In a phone interview on Sunday, Rep. Antonio Cuenco of Cebu, vice-chairman
of the dangerous drugs committee, said he would suggest to his colleagues
to subpoena Rowena Resado so she could shed light on the controversial
bank account of her husband.

She attended the committee hearing on Friday, but lawmakers and
journalists covering the hearing did not know about it.

When a photographer covering the hearing tried to take her photo, Rowena
Resado tried to cover her face. She fled when The Manila Times tried to
interview her.

"I fear that she [Rowena] is holding secret bank accounts," Cuenco said.
"If Prosecutor Resado is not hiding anything, he should issue a waiver for
the opening of his bank accounts and that of his wife."

Cuenco said that the only thing prohibiting the committee from linking the
alleged bribe money to the Resados is the Bank Secrecy Law.

Money From Lending

On Friday, Resado admitted to receiving an P800,000 deposit made at Banco
de Oro's branch at SM North Edsa in Quezon City on December 2, which is
the day he released the resolution dismissing the drug trafficking charges
filed against the "Alabang Boys."

The "Alabang Boys" refer to Richard Santos Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph
and Joseph Ramirez Tecson, who were arrested by anti-drug agents in an
entrapment operation on September 20, 2008.

But the money was not a bribe, Resado said, adding that he and his wife
are engaged in the lending business. Since March 2002, he explained,
various amounts of checks ranging from P50,000 to P300,000 were deposited
to his account.

Resado said he is angry about the disclosure of his banking details, which
he considers a violation of the Bank Secrecy Law.

Source Of Bribe

He also accused Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency lawyer Alvaro Lazaro as
the one who attempted to bribe him in exchange for the dismissal of the
drug case against the "Alabang Boys."

Resado did not mention the amount of the alleged bribe, even as Lazaro
denied the accusation, saying the prosecutor twisted the story about
telephone calls following up the case.

Besides the "Alabang Boys," the House panel is expected to summon Justice
Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, Chief State Prosecutors Jovencito Zuno
and Philip Kimpo, and State Prosecutor Misael Ladaga.

Those officials, along with Resado, are on leave from the Justice
department following orders from President Gloria Arroyo, given at the
height of the bribery allegations. But the National Bureau of
Investigation cleared those same officials of charges that they were paid
P50 million to dismiss the "Alabang Boys" case.

The President, however, has ordered an independent panel, which was only
recently formed by the Department of Justice, to investigate the bribery
raps.

The "Alabang Boys" remain in custody of the anti-drug agency, pending an
automatic review of the case by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, their lawyers filed a habeas corpus case, which is pending
before the Court of Appeals.