I’m ready to face disbarment case—Secretary de Lima
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said she is ready to face any contempt or disbarment case that may be filed against her by the camp of Hubert Webb following her ordere to reinvestigate the Vizconde massacre case.
“I will face any contempt or disbarment case that will be brought against me arising from the re-investigation of the Vizconde massacre. I will take said cases as an opportunity to defend the re-investigation and to clarify its objectives as a legitimate exercise to uncover the truth and bring to justice any other individuals who may have been responsible for the Vizconde massacre but who are yet to be brought under the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system,” De Lima said in a statement.
At the same time, she told lawyers of the Webb family to be more circumspect in their statement.
“I understand the emotional response of the Webb family to the results of the DoJ re-investigation. The life of their family has singularly revolved around this criminal case. But that is also why counsels are hired, to temper the emotions of those who feel aggrieved and not to further fan the flames of their anger and frustration, whether justified or not,” she said.
“I humbly ask them to refrain from further imputing bad faith and ulterior motives to any of us involved in the re-investigation and to bring the discussion of this issue to the level of sobriety and temperance, as is only befitting of members of the bar.”
De Lima issued the statement Wednesday after Webb family said at a press conference that they are considering the filing of a disbarment complaint against De Lima for “subversion of the rule of law” by questioning Hubert Webb’s alibi that led to the Supreme Court decision acquitting him.
Article continues after this advertisementLast June 28, the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation revealed in their findings that seven witnesses said and records from the Bureau of Immigration showed that Webb was in the Philippines when the Vizconde massacre occurred in 1991.
