FORMER House speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his wife, Rowena, skipped their scheduled appearance before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, sending lawyers instead to obtain the affidavit accusing them of involvement in alleged multibillion-peso cash deliveries to top political figures.
Lawyer Rowell Ilagan led the three-man legal team that went to the NBI headquarters in Pasay City to respond to the bureau’s invitation and obtain a copy of the affidavit of dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who made the allegations.
The legal team requested and received Gracioso’s affidavit, which supposedly implicates the Velascos in the alleged cash deliveries, even as Ilagan reiterated his clients’ denial of the allegations, saying claims circulating on social media can easily be fabricated.
He said the Velascos would respond to the allegations “at the proper forum and at the proper time.” The lawyer also declined to disclose the couple’s whereabouts, but rejected suggestions that their absence meant they had fled the country.
“As private citizens, we can freely travel. That is one of our constitutional rights as an individual,” Ilagan said.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier confirmed that Velasco is outside the country. Bureau of Immigration records showed that the former speaker left for Nagoya, Japan, on Aug. 30 and was expected to return on Sept. 14, but had not recorded a return as of last week.
Velasco’s wife, meanwhile, traveled to Hong Kong with two other individuals on Sept. 24 and was expected to return on Sept. 27. Immigration records showed no return entry as of the latest check cited by authorities.
Gracioso has alleged in his affidavit that he delivered more than P2 billion to Vice President Sara Duterte, P1 billion to former president Rodrigo Duterte, and P100 million to Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte in several tranches beginning in 2018, allegedly upon Velasco’s instructions.
Gracioso further claimed that money he delivered to some personalities, including Vice President Duterte, came from former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya, and Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo.
The allegations have yet to be independently established, and those implicated have denied or disputed the claims.
The NBI has been investigating Gracioso’s accusations and subjected him to another lie detector test last week. The bureau said the result showed “no deception indicated,” although such a test does not by itself establish the truth of the allegations.
Aside from the Velascos, the NBI had also invited Vice President Duterte and her brother, Paolo Duterte, to comment on Gracioso’s allegations.
The vice president’s camp earlier asked the NBI to move her investigative conference to another date. Paolo Duterte, meanwhile, had yet to appear at the bureau or confirm whether he would comply with the invitation.
The NBI has not yet announced a new schedule for the Velascos’ appearance.
