MANILA — Former Sen. Leila De Lima hopes for a full investigation into two former justice secretaries for putting prosecution witnesses against her in the government's witness protection program even if they were disqualified because of convictions on crimes involving moral turpitude.

The Court of Appeals has reversed 2 notices issued by the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing de Lima's 2018 complaint of dereliction of duty and graft against former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for admitting convicts into the protection program.

• CA orders Ombudsman to act on De Lima's complaints vs Aguirre, Guevarra

She also filed a complaint against then Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for "continuing the illegal admission" of the convicts.

"With the reversal of the Ombudsman dismissal by the CA, I expect the Ombudsman to now conduct a full investigation of both Aguirre and Guevarra," she said in a statement on Sunday.

She said that Guevarra should at least be made "to answer the administrative aspect of the case and defend his role in propping up criminal convicts as state witnesses even if they are disqualified from being granted immunity under the law."

• De Lima moves to disqualify 'convicted criminals' as witnesses against her

The Office of the Ombudsman had dismissed the complaints saying the justice secretary had refused to issue a certification on whether 10 convicts whom de Lima named had been admitted to the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program.

• ‘I will comment in court:’ Guevarra mum on De Lima’s appeal of complaint vs him

It said that without the certification, there was no proof that they were part of the program.

The appeals court said that "there was no valid reason for the Ombudsman to have refused to conduct an investigation on the administrative charges filed by petitioner against respondent."

De Lima, who is facing the last of three drug-related cases filed against her during the Duterte administration, was granted bail and released earlier this month after being in detention since 2017.

Of the 10 convicts whose admission into the witness protection program de Lima wanted investigated, four — Hans Anton Tan, Engelberto Durano, Nonilo Arile and Rodolfo Magleo — have since expressed willingness to recant their allegations against the former senator.

"The wheels of justice continue to turn," de Lima said.

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