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Manila Bulletin devider devider Guevarra allays De Lima fears gov't using full force to secure her conviction

Guevarra allays De Lima fears gov't using full force to secure her conviction

Published Oct 8, 2019 08:01 pm
By Jeffrey Damicog Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday allayed fears of detained Senator Leila de Lima administration is using the full force of the government and its resources in securing her illegal drugs conviction. Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) De Lima made the accusation after revealing that Guevarra issued a department order dated October 4 which reconstituted and increased the composition of prosecutors handling the prosecution of the senator and have them placed under the direct supervision of National Prosecution Service (NPS) chief Prosecutor General (PG) Benedicto Malcontento as supervising head. “There’s nothing significant at all about this purely administrative matter that has been brought to my attention more than a month ago,” Guevarra assured reporters. “The team has been quite big since the beginning as the prosecutors have to deal with three different cases with different sets of accused in three different courts, not to mention that they have to confer with some witnesses who are in prison,” he explained. “The PG is there only to enhance coordination,” Guevarra added The senator, who is currently detained at the Custodial Center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, is facing three drug charges before the Muntinlupa regional trial court (RTC) over allegations of being involved in the proliferation of the narcotics trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). De Lima, who was a Justice secretary before becoming senator, called as “an unprecedented move” the order which designated 11 trial prosecutors and seven DOJ administrative support and paralegals under the direct supervision of the prosecutor general. “It is obvious what prompted this sudden change in strategy on the side of the government: The increasing clamor for Senator De Lima’s release even among senior US Senators and Duterte’s drug war now being exposed as a sham campaign to protect a flourishing drug trade run by this administration’s top cops,” she said. US senators calling for her release recently threatened to ban from US entry Filipino officials involved in the incarceration of De Lima. Guevarra also assured the DOJ has “absolutely nothing to do with US senators or with so-called ninja cops.”
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