De Lima unfazed by contempt suit filed by ex-Palawan governor Reyes

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Monday said she is standing firm on her right to freedom of expression in the face of contempt suit filed against her by former Palawan governor Joel Reyes.

“They can sue me all they want but I cannot buckle down in the quest for justice,” De Lima said in reaction to an indirect contempt case filed against her by lawyers of the former Palawan governor who is being linked to the murder of broadcaster-environmentalist Dr. Gerry Ortega.

Reyes’ lawyers filed the indirect contempt against De Lima with the Court of Appeals following her public statements accusing the appellate tribunal of partiality.

After the appeals court ruled in favor of Reyes, De Lima accused Reyes’ counsels of resorting to “illicit means” to secure a favorable appeals court ruling.

In the indirect contempt case, lawyers Demetrio C. Custodio Jr. and Love Joy Cecilia Brillantes said De Lima maligned their client “by baselessly accusing him of employing foul tactics and illicit means” in order to obtain the appeals court decision.

“In so doing, however, Respondent (De Lima) also  smeared the reputation of the Honorable Court by insinuating that it could be influenced to decide a case in one way or  another by a party’s “foul tactics and illicit means.”

De Lima told reporters that although she wanted to give details about her earlier pronouncements, “I know something about what happened in that case but my problem is, I cannot reveal it without solid proof.”

“But I cannot be cowed in the exercise of my right to free expression. I was expressing my frustration about the development of the case…I am asking the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General) to defend me,” she said.

Reyes along with his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, had  accused the DOJ of railroading the case implicating them in the murder of Ortega.

The brothers filed separate petitions with the appeals court citing grave abuse on the part of De Lima in issuing Department Order No. 710 which put up a second prosecution panel to supersede the findings of the first prosecution panel.

The second panel of prosecution composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Stewart Allan A. Mariano, Vilmar M. Barcellano, and Gerard Gaerlan , who reinvestigated the case, recommended the filing of murder case against the two which paved way for the Palawan Court to order their arrest.

A separate ruling by the appeals court granted the Reyeses’ petition saying that De Lima gravely abused her discretion in issuing Department Order No. 710 and creating the second panel of prosecutors to reinvestigate.

Moreover, the Court held, the second panel of prosecutors exceeded its authority when it reversed the resolutions of its co-equal first panel
of prosecutors.

The DOJ appealed both decisions. The appeals court already dismissed the appeal made by the government on the petition filed by Mario Reyes.