Hontiveros ‘very curious’ how Sara gained access to ex-Senate witness’ affidavit

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s apparent prior access to the supposed affidavit by Michael Maurillo, alias "Rene," the former witness on the Senate investigation into Apollo Quiboloy’s alleged crimes.

In a television interview, Hontiveros responded to Duterte’s call on Maurillio to file charges against individuals who allegedly helped him fabricate testimony against Quiboloy.

“I would have no objection to that. And if Michael Maurillo, alias Rene, made an affidavit against me and against the other witnesses against Apollo Quiboloy and the KOJC, and if it is again full of lies like the ones he put in his video, then that could possibly open him up to charges of perjury as well as the cyber libel that I filed yesterday,” she said.

“And of course, I'm very, very curious — how did VP Duterte see that affidavit even before Michael Maurillo released his video?” she added.

On Thursday, Duterte was interviewed in The Hague, Netherlands over Maurillo’s recantation of testimony against Quiboloy and the Dutertes, where she said that the latter should pursue cases against those who pressured him to make false testimony.

"That is a very serious accusation, and it should be answered clearly to get to the bottom of things," she said in mixed Filipino and English.

"If alias Rene believes that he should also file a case, then he should do that so he can tell the truth in court, and so the accused can properly respond in court as well," she added.

Maurillo claimed during the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family, and Gender Equality’s investigation into the alleged crimes of Quiboloy last year that he personally witnessed the Duterte’s visiting a Quiboloy’s property and left carrying bags of firearms.

Last month, he recanted his testimony and claimed that he was paid P1 million by Hontiveros to give false testimonies against Quiboloy, and the Dutertes.

Hontiveros denied the claim by presenting evidence that it was Maurilio who reached out to her office to expose Quiboloy’s alleged wrongdoings last year.

She has since filed cyber libel charges against Maurillo and six online personalities, and hinted that perjury charges could also be pursued depending on the contents of the affidavit.

The opposition lawmaker also expressed beliefs that Maurillo’s recantation of testimonies was part of a “coordinated and systematic” attack against her and Senate witnesses.

“As to whether the reason or the motivation is tied up with politics, well, anything is possible, but we were no longer able to investigate that, which is why I sought help from the National Bureau of Investigation. And in any case, my main concern here is what Michael Maurillo and the people or groups behind his video are doing. Those vloggers who spread his video and even added their own lies,” she said.

“These are coordinated and systematic attacks, and not just against me. They are against the witnesses who found the courage — despite their fear as victim survivors — to tell their truth. These witnesses, who previously had no voice and are being championed by the Senate through our investigation, are now being silenced again, having their voices stolen,” she added.

Hontiveros previously presented screenshots of Maurilio asking financial assistance from her office but was later turned down to avoid giving wrong impressions that witnesses are getting paid.

Days after Maurillo’s video was released, she said that the former Senate witness again reached out to her office to seek help as he claimed he was being abducted.

In the message, Maurillo claimed that he was kidnapped and brought by members of the KOJC to Glory Mountain, the 21-hectare property of the KOJC in Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City.