(Eagle News)–Senator Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday, Sept. 12, urged his colleagues to allow Senator Leila de Lima, who is detained on drug-related charges, to attend the Senate hearing on the problems in the Bureau of Corrections so she can defend herself.
De Lima, after all, he said, was being used as a “scapegoat in the scandal that has blown up” in the “face” of the BuCor.
“Hindi si Sen. De Lima ang nagtangkang pakawalan si Mayor Sanchez at ang nagpakalawa sa mga convicts sa kasong rape at murder ng Chiong sisters, paano napunta sa kanya ang pag-iimbestiga? Paano nalihis ang usapin mula kay Faeldon at napunta kay Senator de Lima?” Pangilinan asked, referring to former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez, who was convicted of the murder and rape of Eileen Sarmenta and of the murder of her friend Allan Gomez in the 1990s, and to Nicanor Faeldon, whom President Rodrigo Duterte sacked as BuCor director-general over the Good Conduct Time Allowance law mess.
According to Pangilinan, “hindi kapani-paniwala ang pag-ugnay kay Sen. Leila sa kalokohan at korupsyon ng BuCor sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Faeldon.”
During Thursday’s hearing, former BuCor officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos and intelligence agent Jovencio Ablen Jr. tagged De Lima in corruption in the BuCor when she was justice secretary, saying they delivered money to her house from convicts on two separate occasions.
Ragos had said the money was to serve as the campaign kitty of De Lima, who had plans of running for senator at that time.
“It goes against all sense of fair play to drag the name of the already incarcerated Senator Leila de Lima to muddle the scandal involving Bilibid officials caught ordering the release of rich convicted criminals, contrary to the law that is meant to give justice to poor, powerless detainees who should rightfully be released for good behavior,” Pangilinan said.
The Senate joint panel will resume its hearing on the problems in BuCor on Sept. 19.
