DOJ chief to monitor Iglesia ni Cristo cases

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will continue to monitor the cases filed by an expelled minister and member of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) against the leaders of the religious sect.

“I do that, on certain cases, high-profile cases. I monitor and monitor. This is a high-profile [case] and—I’m talking in general—because in high-profile, sensitive cases, public interest is very high. So I monitor [them]. In fact, I consider this as part of my job, to monitor these cases,” De Lima explained.

De Lima, however, said her monitoring of the cases should not be misinterpreted as “special attention” or intervention, adding that while she regarded the complaints against the INC Sanggunian members as “high profile,” it would be up to the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to decide if cases should be filed before the courts against the accused.

‘Under evaluation’

She said that NPS head, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, told her that the complaints filed by former INC minister Isaias Samson Jr. and former INC member Lito Fruto were still “under evaluation.”

According to DOJ sources, the complaints are being evaluated by the NPS’ anti-kidnapping task force.

De Lima stressed that the complaints have yet to reach the preliminary investigation stage because no prosecutor has yet been assigned to handle them.

Asked about the apparent delay, she replied, “He (Arellano) said it was only recently that the complainants submitted a more complete number or sets of complaints. The process can’t begin if the number of complaints is incomplete. There is a required number of complaint-affidavits, which should be complete including the attachments.”

Under the NPS manual, a complaint must be filed in four copies for the official file plus additional copies for each respondent.

No interference

De Lima said that once the preliminary investigation starts, her office could not interfere.

“May I clarify that if it’s in the preliminary investigation stage level, if it’s still with the NPS, the Secretary of Justice does not interfere. That is the process. What the Secretary does, what I normally do especially in high-profile cases, is to monitor and give proper guidance. What is the proper guidance? Just follow the rule of the law; just dispose of the case based purely on the merits. That’s all,” she explained.

“I don’t dictate on the prosecutors, on the NPS, on the Prosecutor General. When the processing of the complaint for preliminary investigation begins, that is subject to the independent and objective evaluation by the prosecutor concerned. So the Secretary of Justice cannot interfere, cannot dictate on how, the case is disposed of by the prosecutor. But as I said, I monitor, because I want to make sure that the prosecutor is doing right in accordance with established procedure,” she added.

Under suspicion

Samson and members of his family filed last Aug. 24 a complaint against eight members of the Sanggunian, INC’s highest administrative body, for alleged illegal detention, harassment, threats and coercion.

Samson said the Sanggunian members wrongly suspected him as the author of the blog that exposed alleged anomalies in the INC.

Fruto, on the other hand, also sued the same eight Sanggunian members and two other leaders for alleged harassment.

He claimed he was framed up for rape and threatened after aiding and sympathizing with dissenters within the sect. He has since been provisionally admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program.—Jerome Aning