MANILA, Philippines -- Convicted road-rage killer Rolito Go was gambling in Pampanga on the day he claimed he was kidnapped from the national penitentiary on August 12, and concocted that story to cover up his sneaking out and frame big-time financiers in order to avoid paying them.
This was the picture that emerged from narratives by a key witness, and corroborated by casino players, interviewed by TV5’s Erwin Tulfo.
Tulfo’s exclusive story in “Andar ng mga Balita,” based largely on a witness who claimed first-hand knowledge of Go’s trip to the Casino Filipino in Mabalacat, Pampanga, on August 12, fill some of the gaps in Go’s claimed “kidnapping” that had left police probers befuddled and put prison officials under public scorn.
According to Tulfo’s witness, known only as “Norman,” Go played Baccarat at Casino Filipino on August 12, but had habitually been seen playing two to three times a month, usually on a Saturday or Sunday.
“He usually starts betting P50,000, and this could go up to P200,000 later,” said Norman.
Go lost P800,000 on the casino tables that particular day and used a relative’s car to defray payment to big-time financiers who bankroll players in that casino, the witness said. In addition to the car, Go was supposed to pay cash of P100,000 to them.
Apparently to cover up his having sneaked out, Go cooked up the “kidnapping” story when authorities caught up with him -- thus portraying as “kidnappers” the financiers who took the car as payment -- with no apparent intent to pay the cash as well.
The unnamed financiers abandoned the vehicle on realizing it was practically a “hot car” and having apparently learned Go’s “story” before police.
Other witnesses -- including players, employees and financiers -- interviewed by Tulfo corroborated “Norman’s” claim about Go frequenting the casino.
One said that on August 12, the convicted killer of Eldon Maguan had even been “cursing” a lot---apparently because of his losing streak.
Interviewed by Martin Andanar about the impact of such caper on Go’s hopes of being released in 2013 after serving two decades in jail, TV5’s resident legal analyst Mel Sta. Maria said that Go’s act of going out -- not to mention the perjury -- constituted evasion of sentence.
Under the law, this would cause a review of his record and disrupt his chances of release.
But Sta. Maria acknowledged that Go’s colon cancer may be used as basis for a plea for release on humanitarian grounds, but given what he has done -- assuming it is proven that he sneaked out and then concocted the kidnapping -- it could be very hard to justify a presidential pardon or commutation.
source: interaksyon.com
