DAVAO City Councilor Nilo Abellera and lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, denied participation in the P6.4-billion "shabu" shipment from China which is now being investigated by the Senate Committee of Accountability and Investigations.
Abellera sent a sworn statement to the Senate denying all accusations hurled against him by a certain Mark Taguba, a private broker who earlier appeared before the Senate in the light of the issue.
"I hereby state that I have no knowledge, let alone any participation, on the shipment of shabu from China, subject matter of the current investigation," Abellera said in his sworn statement posted online.
Abellera also denied that Taguba gave him P5 million as supposed "enrollment fee" for the "Davao Group" and that Taguba gave the "Davao Group" about P1 million per week through a certain "Jack."
"I vehemently deny all Mr. Taguba's above allegations for being false, baseless, and malicious," Abellera said.
In the same affidavit, Abellera also reportedly denied knowing anyone named "Tita Nani" or "Tita Nannie."
But he, however, admitted that he previously met a certain "Jack".
Abellera has not attended a single hearing since he was summoned to appear during Monday's hearing.
He explained in a letter that he is still recovering from hypertension which was the same reason of his absence last August 19.
Abellera also extended his wish to attend Senate hearings set on August 31 and September 4.
Carpio in a statement posted on his social media account on Tuesday, August 29, denied the accusation of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV saying that he is also linked to the "Davao Group."
"I represent many clients who have transactions with the Bureau of Customs. It is my job as a lawyer to appear before government agencies for and on behalf of my principals. Senator Trillanes is imputing malice in saying that my appearance before the BOC is because of smuggling. He is just a desperate rumor monger who happens to be a Senator. #desperado," Carpio said.
Trillanes on Tuesday claimed that he has a witness who could testify that Carpio visited the office of resigned Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon at least five times while his brother-in-law Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, who was also linked to the Davao Group, allegedly visited the latter's office twice.