De Lima denies DOJ exec coaching witnesses, challenges Estrada to name source
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima dared Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada to reveal his “unimpeachable source” of information about an undersecretary from the Department of Justice (DOJ) who is allegedly coaching witnesses in the pork barrel scam to pin down not only him but also Senators Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile.
“May I challenge Senator Jinggoy [Estrada] to disclose who those unimpeachable sources are because that is not true. If he has a source, that source is lying,” De Lima told reporters Thursday.
Estrada, in his privilege speech, said a DOJ undersecretary is instructing witnesses in the alleged pork barrel scam to pin down them down.
De Lima said Estrada was referring to Undersecretary Jose Justiniano who is in charge of the PDAF investigation. But De Lima said the allegation is “absolutely untrue.”
“We have no such instruction. Undersecretary Justiniano will not do anything, he will not say anything without clearing it to me first. I will never make such an instruction [to coach witnesses],” De Lima said.
“We never coach our witnesses. If we are, their testimony should have been perfect. If we are coaching them, they never would have spotted any inconsistencies,” she added.
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