House Minority Insists De Lima Should Face Charges

Members of the House minority wants Senator Leila de Lima to face charges in relation to involvement in illegal drugs.

The Lower House minority insisted that charges should be filed against Sen. Leila de Lima over her alleged involvement on illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

This was based on the report of the minority where they signified acknowledgment on the Committee on Justice’s report on the Bilibid drug trade.

The said committee report refused to recommend the prosecution of De Lima over her alleged involvement in the proliferation of the illegal drug trade at the NBP, instead it’s up for the Department of Justice to file the case.

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On Thursday, the House minority said, “as the Minority understands it, the Committee became reluctant to recommend Senator De Lima’s prosecution – after it had received the testimonies of a host of witnesses testifying to her criminal culpability because in the latter’s view – to do so is to breach of the principle of separation of powers.”

The House minority emphasized that a congressional recommendation to prosecute De Lima does not overreach the jurisdiction of the Lower Chamber.

De Lima should be charged for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the House minority insisted.

“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 House minority report read.

The report of the minority used the statement of NBP inmate Engelberto Durano, who in facing the House inquiry claimed that De Lima, through her former driver Ronnie Dayan, has been offering protection to drug lords inside the NBP in exchange for financial considerations.

“He (Durano) even narrated a particular incident where he personally handed money to De Lima who was seen with the known drug lord Jaybee Sebastian,” the report read.

De Lima repeatedly denied the allegations against her involvement in the NBP drug trade.

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