De Lima risking disbarment over Binay probe—UNA
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima may face disbarment or a lawsuit for her “abusive and unlawful acts” if she pursues her investigation on Vice President Jejomar Binay, an official of the United Nationalist (UNA) said on Thursday.
“De Lima is certainly courting a lawsuit for her abusive and unlawful acts. Perhaps another disbarment case will knock some sense into her head,” lawyer JV Bautista, interim secretary general of UNA, said in a statement.
“The DOJ (Department of Justice) clearly has no jurisdiction to conduct an investigation over any impeachable official. That power belongs exclusively to the Ombudsman. De Lima should read her Administrative Code and the Ombudsman Law to understand this very basic rule on exclusive jurisdiction,” Bautista said.
He pointed out that neither President Benigno Aquino III nor the Ombudsman gave orders to the DOJ to investigate into the allegations against the Vice President.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. FILE PHOTO
“Why is she initiating the investigation motu proprio? There is no order or instruction from the President, nor is there any request from the Ombudsman. There is also no formal complaint before her office to give her any justification to initiate a criminal investigation,” said the UNA official.
“De Lima is an over-eager political wanna-be bureaucrat with no jurisdiction to investigate the Vice President. She belongs to the executive branch of government. The Vice President, therefore, is her superior and she is not possessed with power or authority to order an investigation against her superior, in the same manner that she cannot order the investigation against the President,” Bautista said.
The DOJ has already started gathering information about corruption allegations against Binay by sitting down with some witnesses in the Senate probe on the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall 2 parking building, including the Vice President’s erstwhile ally, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.
But Binay’s spokesman, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, said the Vice President remained focused on his job despite the DOJ’s move to investigate him.
“It is a sad day when even the DOJ is part of the political circus,” Remulla said but added that “The VP will remain focused on the job given to him by the President concerning housing for the poor and the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).”
The Vice President had earlier said that he would not allow the allegations against him and his family to distract him from doing his duties.
Binay concurrently serves as presidential adviser on OFW Concerns and chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).
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