De Lima questions DOJ’s refusal to transfer 11 witnesses to NBP

Former Senator Leila de Lima speaks during her first news briefing after her release in detention on November 13, 2023 at the Novotel Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has refused to transfer 11 inmate-witnesses from Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Mindoro Occidental to New Bilibid Prison (NBP), prompting former Sen. Leila de Lima to question the agency’s motives.

De Lima alleged that this refusal is part of the DOJ’s ongoing efforts to uphold what she claims are baseless charges orchestrated by former Justice Secretaries Vitaliano Aguirre II and Menardo Guevarra.

“DOJ wants the truth-telling by these witnesses to be made more difficult,” De Lima wrote on X.

De Lima, who headed the DOJ for five years, criticized the agency’s persistent opposition to her bail application, accusing them of utilizing fabricated evidence and perjured witnesses in collusion with previous secretaries to sustain legal actions against her. She said the DOJ’s decision to keep the inmate-witnesses in Sablayan aims to hinder the truth and prevent them from exposing alleged collusion within the DOJ.

“The DOJ need not be afraid of what would be exposed by the inmate-witnesses that it has already used before to put an innocent person behind bars for almost seven years. It should be responsible for promoting and protecting the truth, not covering it up,” De Lima wrote.

The DOJ has justified its stance by citing jurisprudence on the noncredibility of recanting witnesses, a point contested by De Lima. She argued that recantations should be tested through open court cross-examination and that the DOJ’s isolation of the witnesses prevents this crucial step.

De Lima pointed out the DOJ’s inconsistency in considering the convicted felons as credible witnesses when their testimony aligned with the prosecution’s narrative.

Regarding the jurisdiction over prisoner transfers, De Lima argued that the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa holds authority due to its pending case involving the inmate-witnesses.

READ: DOJ lukewarm on return of 11 witnesses vs De Lima to Bilibid