MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Justice (DoJ) will start today its fact-finding investigation to determine who should be held accountable for the unauthorized trips of former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste outside the premises of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) where he was supposed to be serving his 12-year jail sentence for killing his aide Rafael de las Alas in 2007.

Expected to appear in today’s hearing are officials from Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) including its director, Ernesto Diokno, who has denied giving Leviste the go-signal to leave the NBP compound.

Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, head of the fact-finding panel, said that aside from Diokno, jail guards and superintendents at the medium security compound of the NBP have also been invited to give their side on the controversy.

“The invitations may have been sent out Friday afternoon already for everyone in the BuCor who may be able to shed light in the incident to appear in the investigation from Monday up to Wednesday. Afterwards, we are required to make our report to be submitted to the Secretary. It will be the Secretary who will inform President Aquino of our recommendations,” Baraan said.

The fact-finding committee will determine who should be held criminally and administratively liable in allowing Leviste to go out of the NBP.

Leviste, who was ordered imprisoned in 2010 after being found guilty of killing De las Alas on Jan. 12, 2007, was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday outside the LPL Building in Makati City, which he owns.

The former governor admitted that he left without permission from BuCor officials as he was in a rush to see his dentist.

Diokno admitted that Leviste has been accorded the “living-out status” in line with former President Arroyo’s memorandum allowing 70-year-old and above prisoners to be given such status.

Aside from Baraan, other members of the panel are Senior State Prosecutors Susan Dacanay and Ma. Emilia Victorio, NBI Director for Intelligence Services Ruel Lasala, and State counsels Wilberto Lolitol and Charlene Mae Tapic.

A complaint of evasion of service of sentence was immediately filed before the DoJ by the NBI against Leviste and his driver Nilo Solis for violation of Article 157 of the Revised Penal Code.

Under the said provision, the penalty of prison correccional in its medium and maximum periods, which ranges from two to six years, shall be imposed upon any convict who shall evade service of his sentence by escaping during the term of his imprisonment.