DOJ panel to probe Miriam’s raps vs JPE

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday created a special task force to investigate the charges hurled by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago against Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile during her privilege speech earlier this month.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima designated Undersecretary Jose Justiniano as head of the seven-man panel tasked to conduct a fact-finding probe on the allegations against the former Senate president.

Justiniano faced Enrile during the impeachment trial of ousted chief justice Renato Corona as private prosecutor.

Other members of the task force are Assistant State Prosecutors Niven Canlapan and Nolibien Quiambao, government lawyers Adonis Sulit and Charles Romulus Cambaliza, and National Bureau of Investigation agents Jonathan Mengullo and Catherine Camposano.

“The special task force is mandated to evaluate the evidence gathered and recommend possible courses of action or legal processes including, but not limited to, the filing of the criminal complaint as the evidence may warrant for purposes of the conduct of the corresponding preliminary investigation, and request for investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council,” the DOJ said.

De Lima specifically directed the team to look into the alleged involvement of Enrile in illegal gambling, illegal logging and illegal importation of vehicles at the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.

She also ordered them to investigate Enrile’s alleged wrongful submission of assets, liabilities and net worth and “other related acts constituting criminal offenses under existing laws.”

De Lima said she saw the need to order an investigation due to the seriousness of the allegations made by Santiago.

“We cannot just set aside the allegations of Sen. Miriam. Those are serious allegations that on the same day she delivered her privilege speech she immediately sent the letter-request,” she said.

“We might be accused of dereliction of duty if we don’t act on it, if we ignore that request,” she added.

The DOJ chief said the probe would not cover allegations on alleged human rights violations allegedly committed by Enrile when he was defense minister of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

On Santiago’s allegation that Enrile masterminded the pork barrel scam, De Lima said the complaint is undergoing preliminary investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman.

In her privilege speech delivered on Dec. 4, Santiago linked Enrile to various crimes.