Stiffer penalties vs liars in gov’t service sought
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros —Joseph Vidal/Senate Social Media Unit
Civil servants found guilty of inducing false testimony may soon be barred from holding public office.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed a measure seeking to penalize all government officials who coerce witnesses to provide fabricated statements during legal proceedings, saying such criminal offense subverts the country’s judicial processes.
“Subornation of perjury, particularly when committed by public officers and those in power, strikes at the core of justice by undermining the truth-seeking function of the legal system,” Hontiveros said in filing Senate Bill No. 2512.
“This bill seeks to preserve the integrity of court proceedings and maintain public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the legal process by sending a strong message that dishonesty and corruption within the legal system will not be tolerated,” she said.
6 years in jail
Besides facing perpetual disqualification from government service, public officials may be jailed for up to six years and pay a fine of P1 million for forcing witnesses to lie under oath.
Hontiveros filed the bill on Dec. 13, exactly a month after her friend and political ally, former Sen. Leila de Lima, was granted bail by a Muntinlupa City judge in the last of the three illegal drug cases filed against her, ending her nearly seven years of detention for what De Lima claimed were ‘trumped-up’ charges.
De Lima has consistently claimed that government prosecutors had presented contrived witnesses, among them convicted criminals, to link her to the illegal drug trade supposedly upon the orders of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Orchestrated by Duterte
According to her, Duterte had orchestrated her wrongful indictment to get back at her for criticizing his brutal war on drugs and for investigating the vigilante-style killings in Davao City when Duterte was still its mayor.
Hontiveros said while the Revised Penal Code penalized perjury, it did not impose specific punitive actions against subornation of perjury, or the “crime of procuring, persuading or coercing another person” to provide false testimonies.
“Given the potential for greater harm, the bill provides for increased penalties when public officers are involved in the coercion and manipulation of witnesses,” Hontiveros said.
“This reflects a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of honesty and accountability in the public service,” she added.
