A member of the Lower House is set to testify against his former colleague who is accused of masterminding the bomb explosion at the Batasan Pambansa complex in 2007, which killed six people including then Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.
In an interview with reporters, Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves, one of 11 people who suffered major injuries in the blast, said he is ready to testify against those accused of the bombing, which include current Basilan Rep. Gerry Salapuddin.
"I'm willing to do whatever I can. If they wish to bring me to the stand, then I will because I know that hindi lang siya (Salapuddin) ang behind dito (it’s not just Salapuddin who was behind this), there are many more. At least malalaman natin kung sino talaga (we will know who the real culprits are)," Teves said.
"If they are guilty (of the crime) they should take part in it and they should help pay for it," he added.
Teves, who explained that the Department of Justice briefed him on the case two weeks ago, said that he also wanted to testify "for my staff who did not make it."
Three members of his staff — Maan Gale Bustalino, Dennis Manila and Vercita Garcia — were killed in the explosion together with Rep. Akbar, who was Salapuddin's political rival and the reported target of the bomb attack.
Others killed in the 2007 blast were congressional employees Jul-Asiri Hayundini and Marcial Taldo.
Apart from Teves, among the injured was Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan.
Teves said that based on the DOJ briefing, he might be called to testify “maybe in the next few weeks." He said he plans to tell the court what happened to him and the extent of his injuries, which affected the left part of his body.
Teves explained that from 2007 to 2009 he underwent various operations every three weeks, and was only finally able to wean himself out of pain killers some two months ago.
The lawmaker also enumerated several facts about the actions of “Salapuddin’s men" surrounding the incident, which he believed clearly linked Salapuddin to the bombing.
"Kung hindi ka kasama pero ginagawa ng lahat ng tao mo, at least alam mo kung sino ang kasama ng tao mo. Hindi mo pwedeng sabihing wala ka talagang alam, command responsibility yan," he said.
(If you weren’t there but all your men were doing these things, at least you must have know who were with your men. You can’t say you don’t know anything, that’s command responsibility.)
Last Friday, Judge Ralph Lee of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 83 ordered Salapuddin's arrest and issued a hold-departure order against him on Monday.
Salapuddin’s warrant of arrest was first issued in 2008 but was lifted after then Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez found no probable cause to indict Salapuddin — a decision later reversed by the Court of Appeals.—JV
