Duterte appoints lawyer of NBI execs who pursued case vs De Lima

The NBI headquarters in Manila (File photo / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed to a government position the lawyer of two former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials who filed drug charges against Sen. Leila de Lima.

Duterte signed the appointment papers of Atty. Eduardo Bringas on January 7 as executive director of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). His papers, however, was only released on Friday.

Bringas was the lawyer of former NBI Deputy Directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala, who filed drug charges against De Lima and other government officials in connection with the alleged narcotics trade and payoffs inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during her stint as Justice secretary.

READ: NBI files drug raps vs De Lima

De Lima is currently detained at the custodial center in Camp Crame in Quezon City for drug charges, which she has repeatedly denied.

Bringas will join Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) chair Dante Jimenez, who was named in January this year as PACC chairman. /jpv