House Minority wants Bilibid Queen Leila de Lima held liable for various offenses for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.
The House Minority has released its dissenting opinion to the House Justice Committee's Report No. 14 on the proliferation of illegal drugs at the state penitentiary during the term of De Lima as justice secretary.
The minority’s report, however, does not list plunder among the possible offenses.
"The Minority believes that the affidavits of key witnesses reveal that Senator De Lima may be prosecuted for the following six (6) crimes or offenses: (1) violations of Section 8 and Section 27 of Republic Act 9165, (3) Section 7(d) of Republic Act 6713, and (2) Section 8 of Republic Act 3019. A perusal of the affidavits reveals that De Lima had (1) received funds from various drug lords and syndicates in order to protect their business and (2) to accommodate their comfortable lifestyle in the National Penitentiary,” the minority’s report read.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said, "Why are we going to come out with this report na sinasabi namin filean kaagad ng kaso. In the past 6 years of the Liberal Party administration, dito talaga lumalaki ang droga.”
Suarez claims De Lima should be held accountable for the concerts at the national penitentiary during her time.
Suarez, however, believes the liability extends to someone higher than De Lima.
In its report, the minority cited the testimonies of inmates Engelbert Durano, Joel Capones and Reynante Diaz and former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director Rafael Ragos.
"The pieces of evidence adduced warrant a Congressional Recommendation for the Prosecution of Sen. Leila De Lima and other officials for various criminal offenses in violation of various applicable laws,” the minority’s report read.
"While the Minority understands that these affidavits alone are not enough to convict any person under the law, they are fairly consistent in themselves, and reflect a criminal design that should suffice for purposes of establishing probable cause. "
The majority had decided against making any recommendations for prosecution, leaving it to the Justice department. The Minority rebutted this.
"Congressional recommendation to prosecute Sen. De Lima does not overreach the House of Representatives’ jurisdiction and is wholly consistent with the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances in government," the minority said.
"The Supreme Court had already recognized that the doctrine of separation of powers does not mean that the co-equal branches of government are totally distinct and separate from each other, such that they are to be treated as existing in air-tight compartments wholly disconnected from one another."
Speaking for the majority, Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Botacabe said, "Alam mo, with due respect to the minority, ang prime function ng Congress kapag nag-imbestiga is in aid of legislation. Makikita po natin doon sa report ng majority nandoon na po ang finding of fact, lahat po andoon na yan.”
Roque, meanwhile, believes the failure of the majority to seek De Lima's prosecution has political reasons.
"Ang aking tingin eh dapat mag isip-isip na si president kung anong klaseng supermajority meron siya diyan. Sa China lang sinabi ni presidente narcopolitics malinaw na malinaw. Dahil si De Lima tumanggap ng drug money galing sa mga drug lords and yet ang supermajority hindi nag-recommend ng prosecution, mag isip isip na si presidente kung anong klaseng supermajority ang meron siya diyan baka mamaya ang totoong majority eh kami,” he said.