Recto denies hand in Batangas gov’s assassination try

Batangas Vice Governor Richard Recto on Wednesday denied allegations he had a hand in the assassination attempt of Governor Armando Sanchez. "I deny knowledge or participation in the assassination attempt of Governor Sanchez," the vice governor said in a text message to GMA News. "Furthermore, I condemn the attack, but my lawyer advised me to wait for the proper charges to be filed before we come out with a statement on the matter," the vice governor added. Sanchez was reportedly convinced that a political rival masterminded the bombing of his vehicle on June 1, an act which claimed the lives of two of his aides. Lawyer Ronaldo Geron, Sanchez’s administrator, said the governor plans to appear before Batangas City prosecutor Leona Castillo on Thursday to file frustrated murder and two counts of murder cases against Recto. Recto is the elder brother of Sen. Ralph Recto. The move came after a military officer - a former member of the Magdalo Group - admitted that members of the rebel group were behind the bombing of Sanchez’s vehicle outside the provincial capitol. The explosion killed the governor’s driver and his police escort. Sanchez sustained second degree burns. Geron said despite reports that Recto was behind the attack, Sanchez is supposedly "not at all angry with Recto." He said Army 1Lt. Patricio Bumidang and Navy Lt. Kiram Sadava - the Magdalo soldiers who claimed to have knowledge of the bombing - and two other security officers of the provincial capitol would come as witnesses in the case. The two security personnel were among those who reportedly saw suspected Magdalo members roaming around the capitol moments before two explosions rocked Sanchez’s vehicles. Asked what they felt after learning that Recto supposedly paid P3 million to the soldiers to kill the governor, Geron said they were shocked. During a news briefing a day after the bombing, Geron, who first downplayed the alleged participation of politicians in the assassination attempt, said Batangas politicians are gentlemen. After reading the affidavits of the witnesses, he said he is willing to retract what he said. He said Sanchez was convinced of the statements of the witnesses "because it specifically detailed some incidents before the bombing." Geron, however, admitted that he has not talked with Bumidang and Sadava. "As a lawyer, I think the pieces of evidence we have and the statements of the witnesses will stand in court. We have a strong case," he said. In his seven-page affidavit dated August 29, Sadava said lawyer Jose Christopher Belmonte, a lawyer of the Magdalo soldiers, brought him to Batangas City to establish the pattern of Sanchez's movements. He said they monitored the governor’s position during the flag ceremony and the bullet-proof Cadillac Escalade that Sanchez used. He said when he returned to the safehouse in Quezon City, he heard news that Sanchez’s vehicle was bombed. Sadava, who is an explosives expert of the Navy's special operations group, said he received a text message from a Magdalo soldier asking him if a block of C4 is capable of destroying a Hummer. He said the vehicle could be destroyed but the bomb should be placed near the gas tank for maximum effect. Sadava denied any involvement in the bombing of Sanchez’s vehicle. - GMANews.TV