Aguirre, SolGen to De Lima camp: No conflict in drug raps

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Solicitor General Jose Calida. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

There is no conflict on the criminal charges filed against Senator Leila de Lima, both Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Solicitor General Jose Calida said.

“If there’s conflict in the information filed by the panel of prosecutors and the OSG’s interpretation, there should already have (been) an amendment  but we did not amend the information (charge sheet),” Aguirre said, standing by the case for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Law for allegedly benefitting from the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Calida echoed Aguirre’s position, saying there is no truth to the claim of De Lima’s lawyer, former Solicitor-General Florin Hilbay.

Hilbay mentioned the discrepancy during the oral argument on De Lima’s petition before the Supreme Court.

De Lima was charged before a Muntinlupa court with 3 counts of violation of Section 5 of the drugs law, which penalizes the “sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of illegal drugs.”

Section 26 (b), on the other hand, penalizes “any attempt or conspiracy to commit sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of any dangerous drugs.

But Calida said De Lima was properly charged with conspiracy to commit drug trading under section 26 (b) of RA 9165.”

“The conflict is just a figment of their imagination,” Calida said. IDL/rga

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