[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’SENATE ‘BILIBID’ PROBE Leila to ‘falsifiers’: Your day will come ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY Prince Golez and Adrian Stuart Co
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – “May araw din kayo,” Sen. Leila de Lima warned those fabricating stories against her.
She made the statement during her privilege speech on Tuesday, a day after the Senate stripped her of the chairmanship of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
“Ang hindi ko mapapatawad ay ang mga taong nasa likod nitong pag-iimbento ng mga ebidensya laban sa akin,” de Lima said.
The former Justice secretary also asked for apology from the witnesses whom she believes were only forced to testify against her at the House of Representatives’ hearing.
“Sino testigo nila? Preso sa bilibid, convicts, those who have skeletons in the closet, pressured by Palace. Alam ko na napilitan lang kayo,” she added.
De Lima urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the alleged “overnight interrogation” of inmates and gang leaders by the Special Action Force at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
She claims that prisoners are being “selected” and “isolated” to implicate her in the illegal drugs trade at the national penitentiary.
“Nananawagan ako sa CHR na magsagawa ng checking sa kung anong nangyayari sa New Bilibid Prison,” she said.
In her speech, de Lima reiterated that she is not the one giving the country a “bad image.”
The spate of extra-judicial killings, which now total to “more than 3,000,” is, de Lima said.
“Sinabayan pa ito ng bunganga ng Pangulo na walang patumangging magmura sa mga opisyales ng UN at ng mundo, katulad ng Santo Papa, ni Pangulong (Barack) Obama, at ni Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon, sa kabila ng pagnanais lang nila na kausapin siya sa kanilang mga agam-agam tungkol sa polisiyang giyera sa droga ng Pangulo.”
‘PAYOFFS FOR LOLA’
On Tuesday, Jovencio P. Ablen Jr., a former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent, bared that he and former NBI deputy director Rafael Ragos delivered of P5 million in drug money to the house of the former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary de Lima in Paranaque City twice in late 2012.
According to Ablen, the first delivery made by him and Ragos was in Nov. 24, 2012 where the drug money placed on black handbag were received by de Lima’s former driver Ronnie Dayan. De Lima, nicknamed Lola by the witnesses, was allegedly waiting at the door of the house.
“(Ragos) told me that we will deliver something to (de Lima). He continued and said confidential ‘to. Tayong dalawa lang ang nakakaalam nito. Dadalhin natin `yung quota kay Lola. 5 million `yung nasa bag. Tingnan mo,” Ablen narrated.
Ablen also enumerated the names of drug lords who raised P100,000 each per week after being summoned by Ragos to his conference room inside the national penitentiary.
The inmates named by Ablen are Froilan Trestiza, Herbert Colangco, Amin Boratong, Vic Mercado, Arman Agojo, Peter Kho, Sam Li Chua, Noel Martinez, Aaron Chen Masiao, Vicente Ang Sy, Raymond Dominguez, Norbert Antiquando, Jaybee Sebastian, Ben Marcelo, Jerry Punzalan, and Dexter Directo.
Colangco, in a separate testimony, said that he was tasked by de Lima in 2014 to come up with P3 million per month to fund the senatorial campaign of the then DOJ secretary.
Colangco added that he was remitting his monthly payola through de Lima’s security aide Jonel Sanchez.
Meanwhile, Rodolfo Magleo, who claims to be close to Sebastian, said that the NBP was once dubbed “Little Las Vegas” with de Lima allegedly allowing concerts and performances by celebrities inside the national penitentiary.
Among those celebrities who have allegedly performed inside the NBP are Sharon Cuneta, Ethel Booba, Freddie Aguilar, and the Mocha Girls. The latter two are known supporters of President Duterte./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
