Aguirre says P24-M DOJ deposits are premature info

MANILA, Philippines — The alleged P24-million deposit to an account of a Department of Justice employee is premature information, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said on Friday.

Aguirre said he has no idea who leaked the documents on the cash deposits under the name of Edna "Bogs" Obuyes, one of the clerks at the office of then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, now a senator.

"Bineberipika pa namin 'yan dahil ayaw naming makuryente," Aguirre told broadcaster Noli de Castro on dzMM.

He said the investigation into De Lima's alleged links to the illegal drug trade has only so far confirmed that she made deposits to the account of her former driver, Ronnie Dayan, with whom President Rodrigo Duterte accused her of having an illicit affair.

Aguirre said the documents were obtained to build up a case against De Lima.

A bank document obtained by The STAR from a DOJ source showed that a total of P24 million in cash was deposited in a bank account under the name of Bogs C. Obuyes in March and April 2014.

De Lima, meanwhile, warned Aguirre and National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran against being parties to perjury by manufacturing evidence against her. The senator said her former clerk, Bogs Obuyes, recently met with Aguirre and were subsequently brought to the NBI.

READ: Leila warns DOJ, NBI chiefs on perjury

She said the two were confronted with information about the existence of bank accounts under their names with deposits amounting in millions. — Camille Diola