Justice Secretary Leila de Lima: Certain of approval this time. RICHARD A. REYES/PDI
MANILA, Philippines–Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will face on Wednesday the Commission on Appointments (CA) and by all indications, she might just get her appointment four years after she took the top Department of Justice position and even amid the pork barrel scam controversy rocking Congress.
At least this was the view of Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chair of the Senate justice committee in the CA who had set the confirmation hearing of De Lima.
Interviewed over dzBB radio, Pimentel said that the 12 congressmen sitting at the 24-member CA have given their “solid support” for De Lima’s nomination.
“Among the senators, none have said they were against her,” Pimentel added.
Told that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada wanted to question De Lima on the nomination hearing, he said that Estrada would then have a chance to ask her those questions.
Asked whether there were senators or congressmen who were linked to the pork barrel scam who would oppose the justice secretary’s nomination, Pimentel said that the pork barrel scam controversy had been going on since last year but that no one had “whispered” or said anything about opposing De Lima.
“As far as I am concerned and my point of view, no one is opposing (De Lima) based on the pork barrel scam. I have not heard anything and no one have spoken to me about it,” he said.
He disclosed though that there were two men outside of Congress opposing De Lima’s nomination. But this involved a former congressman and a person complaining about a case he has with the DOJ and who sent letters to the committee received as early as 2010, according to Pimentel.