It’s final: House won’t seek charges vs De Lima

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives stood pat on its stand not to recommend the filing of drug trafficking charges against Sen. Leila de Lima after the justice committee report on the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) was adopted in plenary Wednesday evening.

The approval by an overwhelming majority of the 294-member chamber of Committee Report 14 is a first in Congress’ history, as it did away with endorsing the usual indictment of public officials, even if four hearings consistently indicated De Lima had accepted drug money.

This angered opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, who branded the move of the members of the super majority coalition as nothing but another “railroad and lightning speed” where it “inordinately fast-track(ed) the approval of bills and resolutions by the plenary.”

“It must afford essential and indispensable debates and discussions on legislative measures before summoning its numerical ascendancy for the approval of measures,” the Liberal Party lawmaker argued yesterday, adding House rules should have been faithfully complied with.

“The lightning speed by which the House approved the report, with irrelevant expositions and findings on Sen. De Lima’s alleged acceptance of drug money for her senatorial bid, was a thunderbolt which struck many members of the House,” Lagman said.

Lagman added that the deliberative character inherent in legislative assemblies was abandoned in favor of a railroaded approval.

House justice committee chairman Rep. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro submitted the report to the plenary Tuesday, which the latter approved the following day, as lawmakers went on a congressional break.

Administration lawmakers allied with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, led by Umali, heeded his advice to come up only with a piece of legislation – and not a report recommending De Lima’s prosecution – on the basis that House hearings were held in aid of legislation.

Umali and a majority of panel members nevertheless agreed to allow the House opposition bloc led by Minority Leader Danilo Suarez to submit their dissenting opinions on the matter, primarily because they want criminal charges filed against De Lima.

Twelve inmate-witnesses from the NBP managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) testified that De Lima – as then justice secretary – received millions in regular drug payoffs.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has direct supervision and control over the BuCor and other penal colonies like the NBP all over the country.

The House leadership vowed to come up with a proposed bill to amend the law creating the BuCor for purposes of overhauling the entire prison system and prevent a repeat of unabated drug trade inside the prison facility.

Inmates’ revelations that the NBP became the country’s main drug center where 75 percent of illegal drugs are traded have also convinced House officials to restore capital punishment for heinous crimes – to serve as a deterrent, even for convicted felons.

Suarez’s colleague, Rep. Harry Roque of party-list Kabayan, wanted De Lima indicted for violation of the country’s laws against drug trafficking, which is non-bailable, and the Anti-Graft Law, and called as well for her removal from the Senate.

‘Case vs De Lima strong’

Meanwhile, Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of several inmates who implicated De Lima, yesterday said the case against the senator over her alleged links to the NBP drug trade remains strong despite lack of criminal and administrative recommendations in the House justice committee report.

In a press conference in Manila, Topacio said he doesn’t mind the committee report not recommending charges against De Lima and other personalities tagged by witnesses as it anyway strengthened possible cases against them. – With Edu Punay, Jess Diaz