De Lima stands by witnesses

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is vouching for the credibility of two witnesses who accused police of taking millions of pesos in cash and illegal drugs from convicted drug trafficker Jackson Dy when he was recaptured last July 12.

“I personally talked to them and they detailed what they witnessed during that night of raid and arrest,” she said. “The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) finds them credible and there’s no reason to believe otherwise.”

De Lima belied insinuations that the two witnesses were connected to Dy’s drug syndicate.

 â€œThere is no indication that our witnesses are members of the syndicate who surfaced to mislead the investigation,” she said.

“They are trying to discredit our witnesses so it’s just right for me to defend them. But I am not saying that their testimony is conclusive because that has yet to be established in the investigation.”

De Lima refused to confirm the identities and testimonies of the witnesses based on the confidentiality rule of the witness protection program.

De Lima said charges would be filed against Senior Superintendent Jose Mario Espino, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group anti-organized crime division chief, for revealing the identities of two witnesses.

Espino and his men violated the confidentiality provision of their witness protection program, she added.

De Lima said Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II told her that Espino had already been relieved.

Roxas had advised the CIDG to prove its allegation against the NBI, she added.

De Lima said she will have Espino’s allegations investigated once police have presented evidence.

“If they really have evidence, I will not even think twice to order an investigation,” she said. “But I hope they name names so the entire bureau would not be affected.”