MANILA - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II is unperturbed by Senator Leila De Lima’s revelation that perks previously enjoyed by inmates who pinned her down for alleged drug links have been restored.

Aguirre said the issue will not affect his chances of being confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

"No. Because baseless ang accusation. There is no substance or evidence presented," Aguirre said, in a text message.

Aguirre appeared before the CA last week but his confirmation was deferred following an opposition from Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after the lawmaker was called “g*gong senador,” “sundalong kanin,” and a coward by Aguirre. Trillanes believes a deeper probe must be done by the Senate to determine whether Aguirre is involved in the P50-million bribery scandal at the Bureau of Immigration, an attached agency of the justice department.

The justice secretary will appear before the CA again on February 15, where De Lima may be expected to present a “confidential document” to prove the justice chief had allowed the high profile inmate-witnesses against De Lima to use prohibited items such as cellular phones, television sets, and airconditioning units, as well as access to the internet.

A Philippine Daily Inquirer report also quoted a Dec. 9, 2016 memorandum that said high-profile inmates at the AFP custodial facility enjoyed luxurious living "in return for the testimony they gave during the congressional inquiry on the proliferation of drugs inside New Bilibid Prison."

After denying De Lima's claims on Wednesday, Aguirre ordered the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to probe the so-called restoration of privileges.

The inmates are presently detained at the AFP Custodial and Detention Center where they were transferred last September due to their testimony before the House of Representatives inquiry into the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) illegal drug trade. Among them are Herbert Colanggo, Jaime Patcho, Vicente Sy and Noel Martinez.

The inmates testified that De Lima received millions in drug payoffs from them and ordered them to distribute huge volumes of methamphetamine hydrochloride to fund her senatorial bid.