I tend to believe Senator Risa‘s story. Whistleblower Michael Maurilio alias “Rene”, who testified in the Senate in early 2024 vs. KOJC lord Apollo Quiboloy, texted her last June 22 and 23 saying he had been kidnapped and was being held in a KOJC property in Davao City. The very next day the June 24 YouTube video, allegedly of “Rene”, without the shades, facemask, and baseball cap, was released, taking back everything he said in 2024, this time accusing Risa of bribing him with a million bucks to lie under oath and testify against Digong, Sara, and Quiboloy. Senator Risa denies it all, of course, and without evidence that “Rene” lied the first time and speaks the truth now, it does seem to me like a case of witness tampering.
The DDS v/bloggers, however, who are mostly Quiboloy defenders, seem to believe “Rene”, or should I say, tend to give credence to his recantation, that is, to give him, and not Senator Risa, the benefit of the doubt. Even, to suggest that it was, is, all part of the senator’s alleged early campaign to run for president come 2028. Which, to my mind, only makes that “recantation” seem like part of a DDS campaign to discredit Senator Risa who could indeed pose a serious challenge to Sara come 2028.
At saka si “Rene” nga ba ‘yon? O kahugis at kaboses lang? Looking forward to NBI findings, also with regard to the 12 b/vloggers who disseminated the recantation video and its claims vs Risa accompanied by a lot of namecalling, from shokpok to evil to tanim-witness, atbpang pandudusta.
And meanwhile, economist Cielo Magno and Commodore Jay Tarriela have filed cyberlibel complaints vs. a DDS b/vlogger (one of the 12 named by Senator Risa) for malicious imputations damaging their reputations. At samantala rin, another whistleblower has surfaced, this one in the case of the missing sabungeros, accusing gambling lord Atong Ang of being the mastermind, na tila pinaniniwalaan ni DOJ Sec Boying Remulla.
Not that any of it is distracting from VP Sara’s impeachment case. Buhay na buhay pa rin ang balitaktakan sa social media, thanks to Ronald Llamas, who’s everywhere, kahit paulit-ulit lang, haha, but I guess it works.
I get asked kung sa palagay ko ay matutuloy pa ba ang trial, and I think yes, but not without more delaying tactics first. I also get asked kung kanino ako for senate prez, Chiz o Tito, and I say Chiz, despite all the bad press he’s getting, just because I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I do think we need a lawyer to sit as Presiding Judge. Better him than Cayetano or Marcoleta.