BOLINAO— First District Rep. Jesus Celeste who, together with Gov. Amado Espino, was recently cleared by the Department of Justice of any involvement in the killing of Infanta Mayor Ruperto Martinez in 2012, wants to teach investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and some influential leaders for maliciously incriminating him in the crime.

Mr. Celeste said the case filed against him, based on a concoction of lies by a teenager, caused him anguish and damage to his integrity when he and the governor were tagged as the mastermind behind the killing of the mayor.

The DOJ panel dismissed the charge for lack of probable cause.

The congressman, in an interview over Bombo Radyo Dagupan Friday, said he would consult his lawyers as soon as he gets his copy of the 12-page DOJ decision clearing Gov. Espino, himself and Jaime Aquino, a newspaper publisher.

“They (NBI and those behind the filing of the criminal complaint) must not do that because truth will ultimately come out and it hurts when it destroys the image of an innocent person (like me),” he said.

The NBI had presented its lone witness, Jestin Aquino, 16, son of respondent Aquino, publisher of tabloid Northern Star, who allegedly overheard a conversation during a meeting held in El Pescador Resort in Bolinao town about how the respondents allegedly plotted the killing of Martinez.

“First, the allegation of Jestin that the respondents discussed the plot to kill Mayor Martinez in his presence is inconsistent with human experience. Will a provincial governor, a congressman and a newspaper publisher hatch their plan to murder someone in front of, or otherwise in the presence of a minor? Are the respondents that dumb to conspire to commit a crime in the presence of a 16-year old child?” the resolution said which was signed by the DOJ Prosecution Panel.

“A witness who testifies about something he never saw runs into inconsistencies and makes bewildering claims,” it added.

In their counter-affidavits, the respondents alleged that Jestin was merely exploited and manipulated into executing his affidavit by the political rivals of Mr. Espino. They said Jestin’s statements became tainted with incredible stories and pure lies. They questioned his credibility and branded Jestin as a documented liar.

Both Messrs. Espino and Celeste also claimed that the late mayor was their close political ally, and therefore, it would be impossible for them to plot his murder.

Mr. Celeste also added during the radio interview that the kind of investigation the NBI did was weak. “They did a poor probe but we do not know if that was manipulated (by some powerful people) and they might have sacrificed their principles for politics,” he said.

“The worst they did was to make the President and the DOJ believe their accusations. They fooled them,” he said.

He said because of what happened, “I lost my trust in them (NBI)”. (Tita Roces)

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