Witnesses in Sara cop's case retract statements
Two principal witnesses who earlier came out to testify against a cop in Sara, Iloilo retracted statements that led to the cop's preventive suspension.
The retraction also disclosed purported threats and alleged force in the course of executing the initial testimony. Both also now claimed ignorance particularly on the English language, one went even further to admit having "no balls" to complain or resist.
The other witness, a top officer of Ceres liner was also upfront with his declaration vis a vis retraction – despite his position and responsibility in said bus company – he does not fully understand English.
Copies of the signed affidavits cum retraction were obtained by The News Today (TNT).
Witness number one was Edgardo Vailoces, trusted man in the field and throughout Panay Island by Vallacar Transit Incorporated. Said company is the mother corporation of Ceres bus liners dubbed as "King of the Road" here.
Vailoces as Ceres Operations Manager swore in June 18th to the purported extortion in Northern Iloilo particularly in the provincial operations of Ceres.
Vailoces then said that as per personal knowledge, about P250 was allegedly collected per passenger loaded and passing at the Sara Bus Station.
And it did not stop there. Vailoces also then disclosed how purportedly at the same time, employees were threatened.
Barely three weeks later in a "Supplemental-Affidavit," Vailoces changed his testimony. Copies of said documents surfaced only over the weekend.
Foremost in his retraction was his declaration that because the June 18th affidavit was "entirely written in English, I did not understand the full imports of the same."
He also clarified now that he has no personal knowledge "of any extortion activities" that was being imputed against the subject cop. He also said that he was not referring to the same police officer.
"As to identities of persons who are threatening our employees, I have yet no personal knowledge of this fact as it was only relayed to me by a word of mouth from some of our personnel. Nevertheless, we are still investigating this matter," excerpts of the "Supplemental-Affidavit" went.
As for money being paid by Ceres, Vailoces now had a new explanation.
"That rather, what I am aware of is the customary business practice in our terminal at Sara Municipal Terminal of giving Bookers commission for booking and scheduling passengers for our RORO Buses. This giving of commission to Bookers is an accepted customary business practice in our operations and is not being forced or extorted from Vallacar Transit Incorporated," Vailoces said. "That moreover, I was able to talk to other personnel from other bus companies and they were able to confirm that they too have their own Bookers of whom they are giving commission to book and schedule their RORO passengers as well."
The "RORO" buses are Ceres units loaded in Roll on-Roll Off vessels plying the Metro Manila route.