Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently evaluating the affidavit of dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., including the possibility of his admission into the Witness Protection Program (WPP) although there’s no application just yet.
Vida said the DOJ received Gracioso’s affidavit from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) late last week and is now verifying and validating the allegations.
He clarified, however, that Gracioso has not formally applied for admission to the WPP.
“Actually there’s no application for that currently. So that’s something we need to clarify later,” Vida said.
Gracioso has alleged in his sworn affidavit that he delivered billions of pesos in cash, luxury gifts, vehicles and other items to members of the Duterte family, allegedly upon the instructions of former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his wife, Rowena Amara Velasco.
Vida said the evaluation would include determining who could potentially be held liable based on Gracioso’s allegations and whether his claims can be independently verified.
He said government officials identified as respondents would be referred to the Office of the Ombudsman, while cases involving private individuals would fall under the DOJ.
Vida said the NBI’s separate investigation, including its validation efforts and polygraph examination of Gracioso, would also be taken into account.
“Of course, tanggap namin yun. May mandato, NBI. Investigador sila,” Vida said.
He explained that the DOJ is looking at Gracioso’s affidavit from two perspectives—his possible qualification as a protected witness and the evidence needed to build a criminal case.
For the WPP, Vida said the DOJ must determine whether Gracioso qualifies for the program.
For case buildup, the department must establish whether his allegations are supported by evidence that can withstand scrutiny in court.
Vida also acknowledged that Gracioso’s own possible involvement in the alleged wrongdoing would be considered in assessing his credibility.
“Kung kasama ka sa mga maling gawain, tulad ng ibang witness, kasama sila sa lagayan, nakipagkotsabahan ka rin sa lagayan,” he said.
He said the DOJ would consider the “totality of circumstances,” including the factual circumstances surrounding the allegations, their verification and validation, and Gracioso’s possible motivation.
Vida stressed that the DOJ cannot simply rely on the affidavit without checking its material claims.
“Mahihirap palulundagin lang tayo sa patag,” he said.
Vida disclosed that the department is already seeing information from open sources that both support and dispute some of the allegations.
The DOJ secretary said the goal is to ensure that any testimony eventually presented in a criminal case can withstand cross-examination before a judge.#