After receiving flak for saying the third batch of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) cases may not be included in her list of priorities before she steps out of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is now singing a different tune.
“I take this opportunity to clarify that I did not say it is not a priority,” De Lima told reporters on Tuesday. “It still remains to be a priority, only that marami pa rin yung ibang priority pa (there are many other priority cases).”
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima says the third batch of PDAF cases remains a priority for the Department of Justice.
She said she personally could not focus on the case because of other similar big issues on her plate but she said she assigned the case to Justice Undersecretary jose Justiniano.
“I am actually meeting with Usec JJ (Jose Justiniano) and I will ask him already to give me a final recommendation with respect to the third batch especially those that have to be reviewed in terms of fake signatures,” De Lima said.
She said she would give Justiniano two weeks to come up with a recommendation.
• De Lima: 3rd batch of PDAF cases may not be included on DOJ priority list
The first and second batches of PDAF cases had been filed in the Office of the Ombudsman as well as the complaint on the Malampaya fund scam.
The first batch of PDAF cases had been filed in the Sandiganbayan where Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. had been charged with plunder.
“Those are still under study. I don’t know if those will be part of my concentration and focus because there are really very important matters on my table,” De Lima told reporters on April 28.
Reports named Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), La Union Rep. Victor Ortega (first district), former La Union Rep. Manuel Ortega, former Zamboanga Rep. Isidoro Real Jr., Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing (fifth district), Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (second district) as persons to be charged by the National Bureau of Investigation with malversation of public funds in connection with the PDAF scam.
Of those to be charged, only Villanueva is a member of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party. Honasan is an independent.
The filing of the third batch of cases had been postponed several times. De Lima said the complaint was still being reviewed due to the alleged forged documents or forged signatures of lawmakers.
But a source privy to the investigation said De Lima and the NBI were prepared to file the third batch of PDAF cases.
The plan, however, was said to be stalled after a copy of the report was submitted to Malacañang.
Another source said the filing of the third batch had been delayed because Malacañang wanted to resolve the issues raised by Villanueva that his signature was forged.
“May nag-claim diyan na ‘fake signature ko.’ Sa amin naman [na nag-imbestiga], kahit fake ang signature mo, hindi naman falsification ang pinag-uusapan natin dito (Someone claimed ‘my signature was faked.’ On our part [as investigators], even if the signature was fake, we’re not talking about falsification here),” the second source said.
“So ‘yung findings namin [sa third batch] tapos na. Si Secretary [De Lima] OK na din (Our findings for the third batch are done. Secretary [De Lima] is also OK with hers),” the source added.
“To be very candid with you, ‘yan [findings on the third batch] pinakikita na namin sa taas, sa Malacañang (we show our findings to Malacañang). Naroroon at naiipit doon ngayon.”