De Lima: SolGen move on Napoles case 'suspicious'

MANILA – Senator Leila de Lima questioned Solicitor General Jose Calida's move to call for the acquittal of Janet Lim Napoles in her serious illegal detention case involving whistleblower Benhur Luy.

"It is questionable, I find it suspicious," De Lima told reporters.

De Lima, as former Justice Secretary, led the filing of cases against alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Napoles and several lawmakers.

She said, with this move of the top government lawyer, it seemed that the administration was now taking the side of the lawmakers and other personalities indicted over the scam.

“It looks like this administration is bent on taking the side of every high profile crook and scoundrel the past administration was able to jail. I cannot imagine what justification the OSG has come up with this time in order to sabotage the criminal conviction the DOJ has successfully secured in the past administration,” De Lima said in a statement.

“From the ‘tribune of the people’ to the ‘tribune of convicted criminals’, this is probably the lowest point ever that the OSG has reached in its years of existence.”

The senator also reiterated that the illegal detention case against Napoles was carefully handled by prosecutors which led to the conviction of Napoles.

"Pambihira iyan, bihirang mangyari iyan na ang estado through the Solicitor General would now move to share the position of the accused," De Lima said.

De Lima said, releasing Napoles in jail will severely damage institutions.

“Release Napoles, the number one enabler of plunderers in government, and we might as well dissolve our justice system and declare this government a government of criminals, where the innocent are imprisoned and the criminals liberated. Maybe next they will be setting free the convicted drug lords who testified against me,” she said.

“Under these circumstances, it is indeed an honor to be imprisoned under this regime of criminal coddlers.”

In a news conference on Wednesday, Calida said the Makati Regional Trial Court "erred" in handing a guilty verdict on alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles in her illegal detention case.

“In the case of Napoles, it is my well-considered opinion, as well as the opinion of my assistant solicitor generals that the court, the Regional Trial Court, erred in convicting the accused, Janet Napoles, for the crime of serious illegal detention,” Calida said in a news conference.

“When we look at the evidence, the transcript of records, there are many glaring instances which will support the acquittal of the accused.”

The OSG’s move prompted critics and observers to allege that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte may have already reached a modus vivendi with Napoles.

Calida, however, said his office’s move to ask for Napoles’ acquittal was only done in the interest of justice.

He said, Duterte "has nothing to do with this decision."

"The President does not instruct his Cabinet members what to do," he said.

“What deal are you talking about? There is no deal. My interest is to see to it that justice is done.”