Palace tells Velasco to face probe; houses raided

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has advised former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco to come forward and shed light on the allegations against him after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that he left the country on Aug. 30 and did not come home on his expected date of return.?

Velasco may clear the air after dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., the lawmaker’s former security officer, claimed in an affidavit that he delivered more than P2 billion in cash to Vice President Sara Duterte and members of her family, including her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now probing the claims of Gracioso, who alleged that the cash deliveries, in suitcases, were made upon Velasco’s orders.

Velasco’s camp has denied the allegations, saying Gracioso’s “one-size-fits-all narration” appears to be “designed and fabricated to attack as many targets as it can while being inconsistent with verifiable events.”?

The BI said Velasco flew to Japan on Aug. 30 and did not return to Manila on Sept. 14, his date of arrival.

“Whether he is afraid or is just taking a vacation, we cannot tell. But if his name is mentioned in the millions contained in suitcases allegedly delivered to the Vice President, (former) president Duterte and Congressman Pulong Duterte, it would be better if he sheds light on it so he can clear his name and that of his wife,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing yesterday.

The NBI intends to invite people named in Gracioso’s affidavit, including Velasco’s wife, Rowena, who reportedly left the country on Sept. 24.

Gracioso yesterday underwent a lie detector test at the NBI. Results have not been published yet.

In a 1978 decision, the Supreme Court said it “does not put much faith and credit on” a lie detector test.

NBI agents with a search warrant raided houses allegedly owned by Velasco in Valle Verde, Pasig on Aug. 24, according to NBI Director Melvin Matibag.

Matibag told reporters on Tuesday that operatives initially didn’t know that the properties belonged to Velasco because they were registered under the names of his employees and a certain company.

Operatives seized firearms, bullets, magazines and IDs belonging to police and security personnel.

Former lawmaker Mikee Romero claimed in a Facebook post on Sept. 25 that Velasco’s home was being raided “now” by the NBI.

However, it was unclear whether it was a separate raid that Romero referred to or the same one that Matibag had confirmed. –  EJ Macababbad

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