Security tightened around De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima

Heightened “security threats” against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima have prompted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to augment its security personnel around its main building on Padre Faura Street, Manila.

De Lima, however, clarified on Monday  that she had not received death threats as earlier reported by some news agencies.

“There’s no specific death threat. It’s not like that. It’s just ’security threats’ because of these high profile cases we’re handling and (I’m) personally involved and working on,” she told reporters.

“I’ve always had security threats. This time around it’s because of the  very sensitive and high profile cases,” added De Lima, a former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights.

Asked if the threats were connected to the criminal case that the DOJ filed against retired Major General Jovito Palparan over the disappearance of two University of the Philippines student activists, she replied: “A few cases, including the Palparan case.”

Aside from the regular security personnel deployed to the main gate of the justice department, personnel from the DOJ Intelligence Services and Operations Group (Isog) had also been outside the DOJ office.

An Isog member, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak to the media, said they were “specifically” tasked to “look out for suspicious-looking persons” the DOJ compound.

“We were told that some individuals could be monitoring (De Lima’s) daily routine at the DOJ. Some groups may be conducting surveillance (on her),” the Isog member told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

De Lima said her “friends within and outside” the government had been providing her with “credible and reliable information” and encouraged her to beef up her security.

“There was an advice that some persons were monitoring me around, outside and even within the DOJ. But I asked our security group to validate that,” she said.

“I’d rather be safe than sorry. And people are advising me about that.”

Meanwhile, De Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had been receiving information about Palparan’s whereabouts.

“There had been information which was relayed to me. What I did was to ask the NBI to validate them. There were (supposed) sightings and also (information) on his reported location,” she said.

“The NBI and the PNP (Philippine National Police) team are working on it. They are continuously searching. But we cannot be disclosing the details of what they’re doing unless there are significant breakthroughs.”

The NBI  remains hopeful the fugitive general would surface and surrender to authorities.

“The door is still wide open for former General Palparan,” said Ricardo Diaz, NBI director in Central Luzon, who was tasked by a Bulacan judge to arrest Palparan.

Diaz has maintained a positive stance although Palparan’s wife and two children have ruled out a surrender.

“They felt that he is being harassed and treated unfairly,” Diaz said yesterday, citing the statements of Dr. Vangie Palparan and her children, Martin and Bessie, when NBI agents went to their house in Pasig City on December 30.

Diaz said Palparan did not list the Pasig house among his properties. He described the house, where the family keeps at least 15 dogs, as a “fortress” because it was designed to keep the family secure from intruders.

Dr. Palparan, Diaz said, told NBI agents that she did not know where her husband was.

Diaz said tipsters reported sightings of Palparan in Mindoro, Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Mindanao. With reports from  Tonette Orejas and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon