* Says: “Ang sinungaling ay kapatid ng magnanakaw”
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte’s former staff member, Jeffrey “Jepoy” Tupas, addressed allegations made against him by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. on Thursday, October 1.
Tupas said in a statement that he submitted an affidavit through his lawyer, Atty. Toby Diokno, to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to address the allegations hurled against him by Gracioso.
He added that he submitted the affidavit in Manila rather than appearing in person before NBI Director Melvin Matibag, as directed by a subpoena.
According to Tupas, the subpoena, dated September 28, ordered him to appear at Matibag’s office at 10 a.m. on October 1 to provide information relevant to an ongoing investigation.
He said the investigation involved alleged violations of Republic Act 7080, or the Anti-Plunder Act; Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; and Republic Act 9160, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.
Tupas said his affidavit addressed allegations contained in a sworn statement by Gracioso that had been made public through media reports. He rejected the accusations, describing them as false and disputable.
Gracioso among others claimed that on September 21, 2019, he gave two suitcases to Tupas containing ₱50-million each intended for VP Sara. Tupas dismissed the allegation stressing that he was in in Japan on September 19 to 22, 2019 and added that he still has a copy of his e-ticket and his passport that indicated so. He said he did several posts on Facebook during that period.
In the same statement, Tupas recounted that NBI personnel contacted him early on September 29 regarding an alleged threat that he would be abducted, supposedly by members of the Duterte family.
He said NBI personnel led by Voltaire Rovira II, identified in his statement as the agency’s special assistant for Mindanao concerns, offered security for him and his family, but they declined.
Tupas added that Matibag personally informed him of the alleged threat during a phone call and requested that he meet with the NBI director in Manila. He said he asked the bureau to send a formal invitation instead.
He claimed that the document subsequently issued was a subpoena requiring him to appear in connection with the bureau’s investigation, rather than an invitation concerning the reported security threat.
Tupas also disputed the alleged threat of abduction, saying he believed the Dutertes had no reason to harm him.
However, he expressed concern for his family’s safety, alleging that unidentified and suspicious individuals had been seen around their homes and workplaces.
“My family and I have been intimidated and threatened by the presence of unidentified and suspicious individuals around our homes and workplaces,” Tupas said.
He said the incidents were being documented on the advice of his lawyers.
Tupas described himself as a private citizen who wanted to avoid being used in political disputes involving Sara Duterte and her family.
The allegations against Tupas and his responses remain subject to verification as the NBI investigation proceeds.
