THE priest, who was tagged in the alleged bribery by the camp of Senator Antonio Trillanes III, admitted that he believed the public confession of Edgar Matobato and Arthur Lascañas on the alleged involvement of President Rodrigo Duterte to the Davao Death Squad (DDS).
Fr. Albert Alejo, in a text message, said that he has given moral support to the revelation of Matobato, who is a self-proclaimed DDS member and was allegedly paid by Duterte to kill the illegal drug peddlers.
"I believe in the authenticity of their personal transformation from their criminal past," he said. "After careful discernment, yes, I gave moral support to the public confession of Edgar Matobato and Arthur Lascanas."
Alejo's name was dragged into the controversy after he was mentioned by Guillermina "Grace" Barrido Arcillas as the one who approached her to testify against the President and coached her to invent stories for his involvement against illegal drugs since extrajudicial issues is not working to oust him from his position.
"I have learned a few lessons since I started engagement with our Ehem Anticorruption Movement, and especially when I accompanied Heidi Mendoza in her truth-telling at the Senate and Congress about seven years ago," he said.
He recalled that so far, there are three people that have reached to him and sought for his assistance to divulge the illegal activities and anomalies of government officials.
"Each wanting to speak out on the spate of killings apparently related to President's war on drugs," he said.
When it comes to Arcillas' tell-all, he said that he only helped her for her family's needs as contrary to the statement of Arcillas who said that she was paid several times while preparing for her fabricated affidavit.
"We could only offer a little financial help for her family needs. We really have to discern with facts and analysis and then act with care and conviction... it is Holy Week season. God bless our fumbling ways in search for what is still noble in our nation," he said.