DAVAO CITY—Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera said that his team is now studying the charges that they might file against Mark Taguba for implicating him in the alleged “Davao group” that was responsible for big time smuggling here in the city.
Abellera said that they are now thinking about possible charges against Taguba but added that his legal team would like to focus first in clearing his name.
“We are now thinking about the possible charges, but for now there is no finality yet because we are still focusing on the senate hearing since first and foremost I need to clear my name first,” he said.
Abellera, who is now on his last term as a city councilor, said that he was offended by the allegations thrown against him especially because he has no knowledge about the issue that he is facing right now.
“I have no business related to import or export or anything that has something to do with the Bureau of Customs. I do not involve myself in the national agency especially if I have nothing to do with them,” Abellera said.
He said that his family is also affected because of the controversies that he is facing right now.
He said that he stands firm on his earlier statement that he has nothing to do with Taguba and the alleged smuggling in the city.
He said that he only met Taguba through alias Jack but never received P5 million from the former.
“Maybe he [Taguba] doesn’t have any evidence against me that is why we are just relying on his mere statement. If he has evidences against me, that I received money from him, then he should have presented it in the Senate hearing,” Abellera said.
Abellera also questioned the inconsistencies of the statement of Taguba “I don’t know what he can get if he changes his statement every now and then.”
He said that if the Senate will invite him again to attend the hearing, he will be willing to attend to clarify his name with regards to the issue.