De lima defends Justice Usec Baraan

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday defended Department of Justice(DOJ) Undersecretary Francisco Baraan against critics who were saying that he was interested in the position of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief hence the sacking of Magtanggol Gatdula.

In a Radyo Inquirer 990 AM report, De Lima was quoted in saying that Baraan never expressed any interest in the NBI chief post adding that there was no politics in the sacking of Gatdula.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima

She added that it was not fair that Baraan should be criticized since he was only tasked to head the DOJ fact-finding committee which investigated the alleged kidnapping and extortion of Gatdula and other officials and personnel of NBI of a Japanese national.

De Lima furthered that President Benigno Aquino’s decision to sack Gatdula was based on the president’s own observations and that the DOJ had no hand at it.