Aguirre rebuffs De Lima’s plea for transfer of cases to Ombudsman

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II says no to Sen. Leila de Lima’s wish for transfer of her cases from the Justice department to Ombudsman. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday dismissed Senator Leila De Lima’s call for him and the Department of Justice panel of prosecutors to inhibit from handling the criminal cases filed against her.

“[There is] no valid reason at all to transfer the cases to the Ombudsman. I already inhibited myself a long time ago. The respondents should not be allowed to choose their investigators, and engaged in forum shopping,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said inhibited so as not to undermine the independence of the five-man committee.

The Senator, in her motion filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week, said the DOJ has already prejudged her case due to the pronouncements made by Aguirre.

De Lima added that under the law, it is the Office of the Ombudsman which has the jurisdiction to handle her case.

The panel is headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter L. Ong. Other prosecutors in the team are Senior Assistant City Prosecutor (SACP) Alexander P. Ramos, SACP Leila R. Llanes, SACP Evangeline P. Viudez-Canobas and Assistant State Prosecutor Editha C. Fernandez.

Aguirre said the DOJ consolidated the four complaints filed against De Lima and 17 others, including former government officials and inmates for their alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

The four drug complaints were filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC); former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala; high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian; and the NBI due to the senator’s alleged violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.

”The DOJ is just performing its function of investigating criminal complaints against her and co-accused. We are considering her cases as ordinary complaints. She was always acting as if she is someone special and above the law,” Aguirre said earlier.

The five-man panel headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter L. Ong started the preliminary investigation on the case last Dec. 2 to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of case against De Lima and several other respondents.