The lawyer of the alleged drug lord, Jaybee Sebastian, operating inside the New Bilibid Prison said that his client is open to talk to President Rodrigo Duterte.
The legal counsel of Jaybee Sebastian, the alleged drug lord operating inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City said his client will speak about his knowledge of the drug trade inside the national penitentiary, but only with President Rodrigo Duterte.
Sebastian was one of the four inmates in the NBP who was injured when the riot occured on Wednesday which cost the life of Tony Co, an alleged drug lord, too.
In a television interview, Atty. Edgar Arriba said few hours after the riot that the incident showed that there was a clear and present danger to the inmate’s life while he stays at the NBP.
“Napakarami niyang alam,” said Arriba. “Ayaw niyang magsalita dahil lalong manganganib ang buhay niya.”
Arriba said Sebastian told him: “Magsasalita lang ako sa presidente.”
Sebastian was the most prominent name that surfaced during the hearing of the House of Representatives conducted last week regarding the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary, after his fellow inmates linked him to Senator Leila De Lima.
Duterte has tagged De Lima for allowing narcotics to proliferate inside the NBP while she was justice secretary.
On Wednesday, Bureau of Corrections acting chief Rolando Asuncion said former police chief inspector Clarence Dongail claimed that Chinese drug lord Tony Co attacked him with a bladed weapon.
Dongail sustained minor wounds in the legs and opted not to be confined at the hospital but Tony Co died of several stab wounds.
The former policeman claimed that he was attacked by Tony Co after he reprimanded the three Chinese nationals, including Vicente Sy, for having a shabu session inside Building 14 of NBP.
De Lima who is a vocal critic of Duterte has denied the accusations thrown to her and she said that Sebastian was a government asset.
Atty. Arriba declined to answer when asked if this was true.
Sebastian underwent surgery on Wednesday after the riot.
Arriba said Sebastian did not want to court the ire of either the previous administration or the current one.