With due respect to my colleagues’ opinions, it says a lot about a witness who testifies that he has not executed an affidavit before but actually had (on Sept. 4, 2014); one who flip-flops on several material points like the manner of killing people, i.e., binigti, chinop-chop vs slitting the throat and stabbing several times; one who confessed to killing four bodyguards of former Speaker Prospero Nograles but testified later that the four were actually men of Generals Jovito Palparan Jr. and Eduardo Matillano but detailed only with former Speaker Nograles.

Gen. Matillano later texted me to flatly reject Matobato’s testimony that he had people detailed with Nograles since starting 2009, he was already detailed with the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), and that unit wasn’t assigning people outside their unit. Lalong wala raw siyang tao na former woman barangay captain. Also, Matobato could not make up his mind if he was indeed ordered by then Mayor Duterte to kill several people or not.

Sen. Pacquiao did a splendid interpellation. He exposed a lying witness – one who can’t remember the details of his previous testimony. Indeed, when one is stating the truth, there is no way he can forget. Upon the other hand, a coached or a lying witness forgets his narration of events and circumstances over a certain period of time.  Continue reading “On Matobato and the Sept. 22 Senate Hearing” →