Poe might have violated law when she urged DOJ to focus on other cases —lawyer

Sen. Grace Poe might have violated the law when she urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to just focus on other cases, instead of on the criminal complaints filed against officials and members of Iglesia Ni Cristo.

 

This would be the case if lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles, legal counsel for former Iglesia Ni Cristo minister Isaias Samson, were to be asked. Samson last week lodged one of two criminal complaints against the church leadership before the DOJ.

 

Angeles said the statement of Poe, which the senator said in an interview in Nueva Ecija last Friday, could constitute a criminal offense under Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

 

Samson last week filed illegal detention, harassment, grave threats and coercion charges against INC Sanggunian head Glicerio Santos Jr and other members of the INC.

‘Act of graft’
 

"It is an act of graft if someone asks the DOJ not to act on a criminal complaint," Angeles said in a statement sent to justice reporters.

 

The lawyer cited Section 3 (a) of the law which considers as a crime any act of "persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority or an offense in connection with the official duties of the latter, or allowing himself to be persuaded, induced, or influenced to commit such violation or offense."

 

Angeles said instead of asking the DOJ to prioritize other cases over the INC complaints, Poe should call for the respect of the rule of law and legal processes.

 

Angeles said the DOJ should proceed with the preliminary investigation on the criminal complaint filed by his client Samson and his wife and son.

 

Apart from Samson, a separate complaint had likewise been filed earlier by Jose Fruto against Santos and 11 others. None of the two complaints impleaded Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo as respondent.

Focus on Mamasapano
 

In the Nueva Ecija interview, Poe said the DOJ should give attention to other cases like the Mamasapano incident.

 

"Maraming inaasikaso ang DOJ. Magtataka ka rin, bakit ang tutok doon (sa INC complaints), samantalang halimbawa ang ibang kaso ng gobyerno wala naman silang mga witnesses pa na naka-hold," said Poe, implying that the DOJ through the National Bureau of Investigation should instead exert effort in securing witnesses in other high-profile cases.

 

Like Poe, fellow Senator Chiz Escudero was earlier quoted as advising the DOJ to complete its Mamasapano probe first instead of focusing on the Iglesia Ni Cristo complaints. He added that it would be "prudent" to just let the church leadership to resolve a "purely internal matter." —KG, GMA News