WATCH: Brice Hernandez Having Second Thoughts On Speaking Out Due To Threats – Fortun
#TheBigStory | Raymond Fortun, legal counsel for Brice Fermandez, said the computer of his client would be turned over today, Sept. 23, to the Independent Commission on Infrastructure, but was having second thoughts.
According to Fortun, the former Bulacan first district assistant engineer’s family is having second thoughts on the plan because of fears for their safety after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said his client’s legislative immunity would be revoked if he does not surrender his computer, which may contain damning evidence against several personalities linked to the flood control scandal.
CIDG intervened?
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Gen. Mao Aplasca confirmed that Hernandez backed out of the scheduled retrieval at the last minute last Saturday, Sept. 20, despite an earlier authorization from the Senate to return to his residence in Bulacan from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. to collect documents and computer files.
Lacson revealed that operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) appeared unannounced and followed Hernandez and his Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms escorts.
“This was entirely a Senate operation and this was done upon the request of the person himself so we didn’t need any search warrant because it’s voluntary,” Lacson told reporters.
“So there emerged the glitch. We have to find who gave the orders to the CIDG men,” he added.
Hernandez returned to the Senate later that evening without the computer.
Fortun said they decided to turn over the computer to the ICI, being the better entity that could investigate the alleged flood control anomalies.
