MEDIA blocktimer Roliveth “Boyet” Cortes yesterday said he and Dr. Cecilia Lucentales were victims of members of a group who want them out of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Cortes, 52, who hosted an agribusiness show on TV and radio, said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time when they were arrested in Lucentales' clinic.
Lucentales is head of the alternative medicine association nationwide and founder of the “Run for Duterte Movement.”
Lucentales is also co-founder of Save the Entire Philippines Organization of which Cortes is the director for the Visayas.
Cortes, who ran for Cebu governor but lost in the last election, said one of their lawyers, former congressman Didagen Dilangalen, can vouch for their integrity that they did not extort money from the complainant, whom they do not know.
He said they were released past midnight yesterday after they posted bail of P20,000 each before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.
Cortes said they will soon give their side on the matter, adding that they will file counter-charges against the complainants.
He said he went to Manila to look for a job in the Duterte administration.
He went to Lucentales because she has reportedly helped many people get jobs with the government, and he also heard that there will be vacancies at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Cortes said that during their meeting, Lucentales asked him to stay because there were two persons she did not know who begged for her endorsement so they could work at the BOC.
Cortes and Lucentales were arrested when the two persons handed their job applications to Lucentales.