Taxi driver in Carlos’ grenade blast retracts statement
The glitters of money – P1,500 to be exact – allegedly blinded a taxi driver into signing an affidavit he did not completely understand.
This, Jose Hidalgo of Forbes Taxi claimed as he signed another sworn statement retracting his earlier affidavit claiming that it was the security guard of Carlos Bakeshop and Cafe who was responsible for the grenade blast.
Hidalgo claimed that he was in need of money that’s why he was lured into signing an affidavit he did not know.
The taxi driver’s affidavit was exposed by lawyer Eugenio Original last April 5.
But on the evening of April 7, Hidalgo signed his retraction before Iloilo City prosecutor Jeremy Bionat.
He claimed that when he signed the affidavit prepared by Original, he did not understand it because it was in English, a language he claimed to have not understood.
“Nag-ubra ko affidavit kay nakonsensya gid ko,” he claimed when interviewed at the Jaro Police Station.
But when members of the tri-media bombarded him with questions, he immediately stood up and claimed that he has a headache.
In his affidavit, Hidalgo claimed that money was the reason why he agreed to Original’s plan.
He narrated that the plan started when he ferried two women passengers in front of the house of former Department of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez at Brgy. Quintin Salas, Jaro district.
Gonzalez is running for mayor while his son, Cong. Raul, Jr., is seeking for reelection against Mayor Jerry Treñas.
One of the women, he added, is the wife of the barangay captain of Don Esteban, Lapuz, La Paz district.
The woman then brought him to Gonzalez, who gave him P1,500.
Meanwhile, Treñas, who was also present at the Jaro Police Station, claimed that things became more clear with Hidalgo’s coming out.
As this developed, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) officer-in-charge Senior Supt. Dennis Basngi said that they might end the investigation based on Hidalgo’s earlier affidavit.
“There will be no more investigation because the allegations were already retracted. So, what’s there to investigate?” he quipped.
Earlier, Deputy Regional Director for Operations Senior Supt. Melchor Fajardo, who also stands as task group head investigating the bombing incident, claimed that they were not given any copy of Hidalgo’s first affidavit.
“As far as i know, wala pa namang lumapit sa pulis na nag-iimbestiga at sinabi kung ano ang nakita niya.”
“Lahat ng anggulo tiningnan namin. Ngayon kung may lumabas na taxi driver at nagbigay ng affidavit, tingnan nga natin kung credible kung nandoon siya,” Fajardo stated.
Recently, Original claimed to have copy of Hidalgo’s affidavit alleging that security guard Carlo Ganancial was responsible for the explosion.
He also claimed that politics has nothing to do with the incident since he has no personal issue with the mayor.
