De Lima says Sebastian a gov’t asset, OK if he testifies

Sen. Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Senator Leila de Lima has confirmed that convicted drug lord Jaybee Sebastian, who is being linked to her, was a government asset.

“Yes, yes” was De Lima’s categorical answer during a press conference on Thursday when asked about the report that Sebastian was a government asset.

READ: Jaybee Sebastian “asset” umano ng gobyerno ayon sa Magdalo | De Lima ally says drug lords getting back at senator

“The reason I’m saying that he’s an asset is [because] to dispel ‘yung mga haka-haka na naman, ‘yung malicious insinuations na the reason why hindi na muna s’ya sinama doon sa Bilibid 19 because favored, protektado at lalo na ‘yung insinuation na ‘yan na s’ya ang komokolekta para sa akin,” she said.

(The reason I’m saying that he’s an asset is to dispel the malicious insinuations that the reasons why he was not among the Bilibid 19 were because he was favored and protected, and that he was collecting money for me.)

But De Lima said she would  rather that Sebastian answer the allegations  in case the latter decides to appear at the House committee on justice investigating the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison during her time as justice secretary.

After all, she said, the alleged witnesses presented at the House probe were targeting Sebastian to pin her down.

READ: Cons pin down De Lima

That was why, De Lima said, she would not be surprised anymore if Sebastian would also testify against her.

“Let him (Sebastian) address that. If he wants to testify, let him address that,” she said.

“But para lang to dispel that insinuation na kaya ganun, kaya hindi kaagad trinansfer is because kakuntsaba namin noon. The real kuntsaba there is because nanggagaling sa kanya ‘yung ibang information,” the senator added.

(But to dispel those insinuations, the reason why he was not immediately transferred was because he was working with us. He was working with us by sharing information with us.) IDL/rga