Ipugos gyod na ninyo nga na-rape si Christine aron ma-push ang Matang Agila conspiracy theory.
For those who are not aware of this, the Matang Agila conspiracy theory (after the name of the account which first posted about it) says that my client was one of the 11 who allegedly raped and killed Christine Lee Silawan. This story became popular on Facebook on 23 March 2019, after it was reported correctly that my client had been released from the custody of Home Care. (He was re-comitted to the custody of Home Care within a week, for his safety.)
The problem with the Matang Agila theory is, the findings of Dr. Benjamin Lara of the PNP ruled out rape.
As well, my client has a solid alibi. Initially, at least 7 people wanted to testify that my client was in or around the vicinity of the gym near their house, or their house, on the night of 10 March 2019. One of the two witnesses who identified my client as the person in the CCTV agreed as well to execute an affidavit of recantation, telling me on four separate occasions on two dates that she signed the affidavit incriminating my client as the person in the CCTV without really knowing the contents of the affidavit that she signed. By Saturday, 30 March 2019, however, I was reduced to three witnesses other than the CICL and his mother: one an employee whose work ends at 5pm, and was at the gym at 5:05pm, and stayed in the gym until around 8pm, who saw the CICL playing in the gym, eating balut, and entering their residence at around 7pm; the balut vendor, who arrived at the gym at around 5:30pm, and left at around 7pm, testifying that he saw the CICL when he (vendor) arrived and that the CICL was still at the gym when he left; and a boarder of the CICL’s house, who saw the CICL enter the house at 7pm until he went to his room to sleep at 9pm.
Last night (1 April 2019), the first witness was picked up and subjected to a drug test, coincidentally on the same day we filed our counteraffidavits. The boarder witness also went home very late, although it is not clear to me right now if she had been approached by authorities.
I would not be surprised if any or even all of these witnesses will flip in the coming days. Maybe they would even accuse me of forcing them to perjure themselves.
I would not even be surprised if trumped-up charges would be filed against me, solely because I choose to stand with my client, and work for his exoneration.
In a world where it would have been easier to just let injustice take its course, I could just have kept quiet and told my client that life has always been unfair. But on the very day his family asked me to protect his rights under the law, I had asked him if he is guilty of the accusations against him, and he had looked me in the eye and told me no. In his eyes I had seen the look of innocence I had seen in dozens other clients. I could not turn my back on an innocent boy. Almost five years ago, I took the Lawyer’s Oath, and although this is not the life I had wished (I had always dreamed of being a macho dancer), this life has chosen me. I will stand by my oath, do everything proper and fair to acquit him, so that justice may be served, even if the heavens shall fall.