2 ex-NBI execs file disbarment case vs Leila

MANILA, Philippines - Two former deputy directors of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday joined the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and Sandra Cam in filing a disbarment case against Sen. Leila de Lima on grounds of gross immorality.

Former NBI deputy director for intelligence service Ruel Lasala and former deputy director for regional operations service Reynaldo Esmeralda, VACC and Cam filed a 43-page complaint against De Lima before the Office of the Bar Confidant of the Supreme Court.

They said De Lima committed gross immorality, violation of the Lawyer’s Oath and Code of Professional Responsibility.

 “The practice of law is a privilege… It is a privilege that can be revoked, subject to the mandate of due process once a lawyer violates his oath and the dictates of legal ethics,” they said.

Their complaint was based on the testimonies of witnesses in the congressional inquiry on De Lima’s alleged involvement in the proliferation of drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when she was justice secretary.

Witnesses, including convicted drug personalities, said De Lima allegedly allowed the illegal drug trade inside the NBP to support her senatorial bid. She reportedly spent P86.1 million during the campaign.

“Respondent in this case knew that what were sold and traded were all prohibited drugs. Sen. De Lima did not only provide protection for the incarcerated drug lords to ensure the proliferation of illegal drug trade, not only inside Bilibid but also from the outside,” the complainant said.

Esmeralda said another ground for the disbarment of De Lima was her reported affair with her bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, a married man since April 30, 1991.

He said the relationship between De Lima and Dayan had been an “open secret” at the Department of Justice. He noted that even her security detail were aware of the relationship.

 VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez said that having an extramarital affair is prohibited, especially for lawyers.

“Let this be a lesson to all. I know this would really be hurting. What can we do, she is in public office. She is representing the Senate, which should have people of good and reputable reputation,” he added.

“All these taken together leads to the inescapable conclusion that respondent was grossly imprudent in managing her personal affairs. The fact remains that her relationship with Ronnie Dayan, a married man, is grossly immoral. Worse, she never denied such relationship,” read the disbarment complaint.

Two other disbarment cases against De Lima were filed in 2012.

One of the cases was filed by lawyer Agustin Sundiam. He asked the high court to take disciplinary action against De Lima and former presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda for saying on national television that the late chief justice Renato Corona was a “lawless tyrant.”

Sundiam said the two secretaries violated their oath as lawyers requiring them to “observe and maintain the respect and dignity due to the courts of justice and judicial offers.”

The other compliant against De Lima was filed separately by lawyers Ricardo Rivera, Fernando Perito and Nephtali Aliposa. The complaint was for defying a Supreme Court temporary restraining order (TRO) on the travel restraint issued by the DOJ against former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Despite the TRO, immigration officials blocked Arroyo, who was then bound for Singapore for a medical trip, per instructions from De Lima, at the time justice secretary. Arroyo was considered a flight risk as she had pending electoral sabotage cases before the DOJ.

De Lima earlier said President Duterte; Arroyo; former senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile and other congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam, and a powerful religious group allegedly conspired to attack her.

Arroyo’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said De Lima’s allegations that Arroyo was involved in bringing her down were absurd and that the senator appears to be placing blame on other people for her current plight.

“I must emphasize that Mrs. Arroyo is busy making up for lost time by serving her constituents and spending quality time with her family. She has better things to do than bother with a creature like De Lima, whose shenanigans will soon be her own undoing, even without any help from Mrs. Arroyo,” Topacio said.

“De Lima must realize that the cases against her are not ‘payback’ from persons with axes to grind or even ‘political persecution,’ but are a direct result of her official misconduct, her overweening desire for wealth, her naked political ambition, and her uncontrollable libidinous urges. – With Paolo Romero