Private prosecutor in massacre case slammed over bribe claim

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Leila De Lima branded as “preposterous” the claims of private prosecutor Nena Santos that the P300-million bribe offered to the latter by the Ampatuans may have gone to the prosecutors.

Santos, however, refused to identify the prosecutor saying she will only identify those who accepted the bribe once De Lima is out as secretary of justice.

“If she really has [the] evidence, why should she wait for my exit here from the DOJ, right? If she really has [the] evidence, go ahead, do not wait for me to leave,” De Lima told reporters Monday.

She said the allegations against the prosecutors were unfair.

“I talked to the public prosecutors last week, they’re up in arms. Yung sinasabi kasi na hindi daw tinanggap yung P300 million, napunta daw sa public prosecutors, is that a fair supposition? Is that a fair statement that since the private prosecutor turned down the bribe, it then went to the public prosecutors,” De Lima said Monday.

“Such a conclusion is simply preposterous. Such a huge jump into conclusion in the absence of clearer evidence,” she added.

Santos accused the public prosecutors of conspiring with the Ampatuans, the principal accused in the death of 58 people including 32 journalists in 2009, when it rested its case on 28 of the over a hundred accused. Andal Ampatuan Jr. is among the 28.

But Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan last Friday said Santos was consulted with the plan, and resting the case for 28 of the accused is a strategy to hasten the proceedings following the instructions of the Supreme Court.

“So we are taking advantage of that, and according to the public prosecutors we have more than sufficient evidence already to achieve conviction. And, remember, criminal prosecution is always under the control and supervision of the public prosecutors. It’ the primary responsibility of the public prosecutors kahit may mga private prosecutors,” De Lima said.

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