Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre yesterday confirmed that two employees of the Department of Justice (DoJ) have signed affidavits that directly implicate Senator Leila de Lima in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
De Lima, however, shot down the reports saying that any “manufactured evidence” linking her to the drug trade would just be another “fabrication.”
According to De Lima she already knew beforehand that two of her former staff at the DoJ are being coerced to sign affidavits to admit that she ordered them to deposit millions of pesos, purportedly money from illegal drugs, in a bank account.
“They were being forced to say they have accounts with a deposit of certain millions. They are also being forced to admit that I was the one who told them to open that account where money from the drug lords, and drug convicts can course through. Jesus Christ!” De Lima said in an interview at the sidelines of the Senate public order committee inquiry into the Duterte government’s anti-drug campaign.
“As far as I know they did not succeed in having those two employees execute anything of that sort so why are making it appear that they have signed affidavits? I don’t think that’s true. You better ask NBI (National Bureau of Investigation). I think that’s part of their psy-war to harass me,” the senator said.
But Aguirre thumbed down De Lima’s accusations, saying the two DOJ staff voluntarily executed and signed their affidavits before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).