Aguirre: De Lima is free to file charges against me

Published February 13, 2017 01:19 PM By VIRGIL LOPEZ,GMA News

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday called on Senator Leila De Lima to go ahead with the filing of charges against him before the Office of the Ombudsman for linking her to the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

"She is free to file anything provided it is true. I am not afraid because I have nothing to hide," Aguirre said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Aguirre was responding to De Lima's plan to file complaints

for subornation of perjury and tampering of witnesses against the Cabinet official whom the senator accused of forcing some high profile inmates to testify on her alleged drug links before a House investigation last year.

The Justice chief belied De Lima's claim, saying the inmates admitted during the hearings that they were never coerced, bribed, threatened, tortured, or offered anything in exchange for them witnessing.

"You can check the records of the hearing to prove that they came to the probe on their own—freely and voluntarily—with the assistance of their lawyers,” Aguirre said in a statement issued last October 19.

He also said the inmates were "credible" witnesses.

"Everybody watched and heard the hearings at the House of Representatives. They (inmates) are very credible," Aguirre said.

In its findings, the House justice committee said "sufficient evidence" point to De Lima's possible accountability and involvement in the NBP drug trade, which she allegedly tolerated during her time as Justice secretary in exchange for funds for her senatorial campaign.

The committee however left it to the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman to determine if charges should be filed against the senator in court. —KG, GMA News

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