DOJ rap vs De Lima may be out next week, says Aguirre

MANILA- The Department of Justice's (DOJ) complaint against embattled Senator Leila de Lima might be ready by next week, depending on the speed of the 5-man panel tasked to build a case against the lawmaker.

"[The complaints against her will be ready] in a matter of days, sinabi ko dati. Ganoon pa rin. Baka hindi na lumagpas sa next week (It's still the same, the complaints might be ready by the end of next week)," said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre in a press conference on Friday.

It is taking his panel quite some time to go through the findings of the DOJ's preliminary investigation into De Lima's alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade, because there are many witness accounts, accusations, and violations to be considered.

"Wala naman akong ine-exert na pressure [sa panel]. Ang wish ko lang, sana naririnig ako ng panel, para talagang bibilisan nila," he said.

(I am not exerting pressure on the panel. I just wish they can hear me and hurry up.)

According to Aguirre, he is under fire from netizens for either being slow or too quick in prosecuting De Lima, but he is actually neither railroading nor delaying justice.

The DOJ intends to file a complaint against De Lima, and have her tried before a court.

On Thursday, De Lima filed a 2nd petition before the Court of Appeals to stop the DOJ from acting on the criminal complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against her.

The NBI accused her of allegedly receiving millions in drug payoffs from self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

The DOJ has no jurisdiction over her case, she said, and it is the Office of the Ombudsman that should have handled the preliminary investigation of the complaint.