Lawyers Ruy Rondain and Orlando Mendiola said Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste’s name did not come up in their meetings with “Alias Ken,” the talent manager who alleged that there was a plot to frame Executive Secretary Ralph Recto using false affidavits from four women.
Rondain and Mendiola said they were not part of any plot to smear Recto and were only at the meeting with Ken at the behest of former lawmaker Jacinto “Jing” Paras, who wanted them to listen and assess the statements of the women.
Alias Ken earlier tagged Paras and Leviste as being behind the plot against Recto.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag also alleged that Ken quoted the lawyers as saying that the payment for the supposed scheme would come from Leviste.
But the lawyers said Leviste’s name was not mentioned in their two meetings with Ken.
“We never mentioned his name because he was never part of this,” Mendiola said on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “On Point.”
He also said he does not know of any instance during the two meetings when Ken brought up Leviste’s name.
Rondain said he never even gave his own name during the meeting and did not introduce himself as a lawyer.
“Why would I represent [to them] that we represent Congressman Leviste? It doesn’t make sense,” Rondain said.
He confirmed that Leviste is a client of the firm, but he said he had no reason to mention this to Ken.
He said the firm does not pay witnesses.
“You know why we never pay witnesses? Because a witness who will accept money to testify will accept more money to recant,” he added.
Leviste denied involvement in the alleged plot against Recto.