Samson
and De-Leila
Part
3
WHO IS LEILA
DE LIMA?
HOW IS SHE
AS JUSTICE SECRETARY?
These are
newsclippings published by different news agency about Justice Secretary Leila
De Lim
HOW is De Lima as Justice
Secretary? These are not our own, but collection of published news clippings
about Sec. Leila De Lima which will give light why she needs tp give a “special
treatment” with Jun Samson’s case againt the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
JUDICIAL AND BAR COUNCIL DISQUALIFIED
DE LIMA FOR THE CHIEF JUSTICE POST
“MANILA,
Philippines – The Judicial and Bar Council disqualified Justice Secretary Leila
de Lima for the Chief Justice post due to two pending disbarment cases filed
against her, a member of the JBC said on Monday.
DE LIMA FACED DISBARMENT ON THE BASIS OF BLATANT
DEFIANCE OF A SUPREME COURT ORDER AND A HOST OF
UNSAVORY CHARACTER TRAITS
“President BS
Aquino is now reportedly
giving full support to the bid of Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima
for the Chief Justice seat. De Lima is currently battling disbarment complaints
against her mainly on the basis of her blatant defiance of a Supreme Court
order and a host of other
unsavory character traits that are relevant to any evaluation of her
eligibility to take on the Chief Justice’s duties…
[“Is the use of
state resources to defend Leila De Lima from disbarment justified?” BY Benigno,
August 2012. Get Real Philippines]
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/08/is-the-use-of-state-resources-to-defend-leila-de-lima-from-disbarment-justified/
“IS THE USE OF STATE RESOURCES TO DEFEND
LEILA DE LIMA FROM DISBARMENT JUSTIFIED?”
“My colleageue
Ben Kritz had a pretty compelling view on the merits of De Lima being “kicked
upstairs” into the company of the country’s top legal minds who “possess
thinking faculties formidable enough to effectively put a check on the ogresque
thoughts and actions of what by then will be Malacanang’s erstwhile “attack
dog”. Compare that to the company De Lima currently keeps as a member of
President BS Aquino’s cabinet — a bunch of bumbling bickering hacienda
hangers-on who have, in the last couple of years, collectively failed to
exhibit any semblance of consistent team esprit.
“The only real
issue here is the question of whether the use of state legal resources to
defend De Lima in her disbarment case is justified. In my simplistic view,
disbarment is a consequence of a lapse in professional judgment of a lawyer,
which means that a case of disbarment is something that is solely between the individual
law professional and the governing/regulatory body of said profession, in this
case, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). As such, we then need to ask
ourselves: Is it right to expect the Filipino tax payer to foot De Lima’s legal
bill?
“Then again,
what else is there for Aquino’s cabinet to rally around beyond the only real
point of this whole costly sham known as the Second Aquino Administration? De Lima
will likely have one single marching order as Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court — to secure the family jewels of Uncle Peping. That’s fair enough, I
suppose. What else is democracy but a soul-less governance engine for churning
out warm-and-fuzzy win-win outcomes: (1) from the “people’s” perspective, an
illusion that they had exercised their “will”, and (2) from the politicians’
perspectives, a “mandate” to effect their feudal agendas.”
[“Is the use of
state resources to defend Leila De Lima from disbarment justified?” BY Benigno,
August 2012. Get Real Philippines]
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/08/is-the-use-of-state-resources-to-defend-leila-de-lima-from-disbarment-justified/
IN MARCH, 2013, THE COURT OF APPEALS RULED THAT
DE LIMA HAD ACTED IN GRAVE ABUSE OF DISCRETION
“In March 2013,
the CA, granting Reyes’ petition, ruled that De Lima had acted with grave abuse
of discretion in creating the second panel. The tribunal, however, left it to
the Palawan RTC’s discretion to determine if the arrest warrant against Reyes
should be quashed.”
[“What Went
Before: Gerry Ortega.” http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/496769/what-went-before-gerry-ortega.]
“DE LIMA HAS A SEX VIDEO WITH HER DRIVER”?
“THE president
of the Whistleblowers Association, Sandra Cam, vowed to release the alleged sex
video of Justice Sectary Leila de Lima with her driver in the next session of
the Commission on Appointments (CA). De Lima’s confirmation has been bypassed
by the CA several times. The last time she faced the CA, she was grilled by
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of the senators charged with plunder in connection
with the multi-billion pork barrel scam.”
[“De Lima has a
sex video?” June 8, 2014. Sun Star]
http://archive.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2014/06/08/nalzaro-de-lima-has-sex-video-347132
TWO FACES OF LEILA DE LIMA
“WHEN Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima left the Commission on Appointments hearing last week,
two faces were shown to the public, both not at her own bidding.
“One was that of
a nominee who hasn't been confirmed for four years and yet hasn't asked C.A.
officials and members to help her.
“The other was
that of a woman, the top law enforcer of the land, being questioned on national
stage about an alleged affair with her married driver.
Sen. Jinggoy
Estrada said she should've approached the C.A. members, a
"tradition," he said, for an appointee to be confirmed.
Paying homage
could've secured the vote. That must have offended her sensibility although one
wouldn't be sure now if she shunned courtesy calls out of
"delicadeza" or from some arrogant confidence that she enjoyed the
president's trust.
“That de Lima
face certainly is what the public mostly sees: feisty and tenacious to get
things done "ala PNoy" (which Cabinet secretaries trustingly accept
as "the right way").
“The other face
was of a woman pressured to demean herself if she'd answer a question about
illicit sex.
“De Lima must
have been deeply outraged even as she barely concealed embarrassment. Was the
job that required C.A. blessing so valuable she must be publicly be shamed
about a private act and threatened with exposure through purported sex videos?
“Prurient
interest must have overwhelmed appreciation for propriety. C.A. interrogators
knew what would draw public interest.”
[“Two Faces of
Leila De Lima,” by tty. Pacheco A. Seares, June 9, 2014]
KAT ALANO: A PUBLIC FIGURE WHO IS A KNOWN RAPIST
WALKED FREE UNDER DE LIMA’S WATCH
Below is a part of Kat Alano’s
oen letter to Sec. Leila De Lima. She admitted that she was raped when she was
19 yrs. Old, and claimed that “Under your
(Sec. De Lima) jurisdiction, a PUBLIC FIGURE who is a KNOWN RAPIST that has had
several rape cases filed against him has been allowed to go free, scaring the
rest of his victims into submission, knowing the ease at which the other cases
were dismissed without fair deliberation.”
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Alano
Artist · 8,886
Likes
· January 19 ·
So, someone
pointed out that my letter could be misinterpreted. I reworded a few things and
this time I WAS MORE SPECIFIC.
For those who
have been waiting for me to say who my rapist is, it doesn't get more specific
than this. I'm tired of keeping my silence, of watching people protect a man
who has hurt so many women for years.
I have had
enough.
An open letter
to Justice Secretary De Lima
Ma'am, before I
get to the main point of this letter, I'd like to bring your attention to the
fact that you were recently quoted in an article regarding the sexual assault
of an 8 year old girl in NBP as saying: "Of course it's again very
surprising on my part, very shocking again on my part, with all of these one
incident after the other, one issue after the other, one controversy after the
other".
You said that
you were 'surprised'? I ask, how can a woman in your position be surprised at
this fact? As the Secretary of Justice, I'm sure that you are aware that in the
past year alone the number of public rape cases has been astounding, hence the
evidence of the pro rape culture in our country has been laid bare in front of
the public for all to see.
WE HAVE A HUGE
PROBLEM WITH RAPE CULTURE IN OUR COUNTRY. Our nation as it stands is PRO RAPE
and JUSTICE AS IT STANDS HAS FAILED US.
The fact that
you are still 'surprised' by this incident means that, whether you intended it
or not, the justice system under your jurisdiction is a big factor in this
problem. How so? Under your jurisdiction, a PUBLIC FIGURE who is a KNOWN RAPIST
that has had several rape cases filed against him has been allowed to go free,
scaring the rest of his victims into submission, knowing the ease at which the
other cases were dismissed without fair deliberation. It has also proven something
I knew to be true long ago, that filing a case in our court system against the
man who raped me would end only in an unfair dismissal and a perjury case filed
against me for 'damaging his reputation' by trying to bring this man to justice
for what he has done to me and many others. One does not need to be a lawyer to
have the inner workings of our justice system figured out. There have been many
other publicized rape cases against public figures which have ended the same
way, in favor of the rapist and NOT in favor of justice for the victims. You
see Secretary De Lima, I myself am a victim of the same man who has been
allowed to go free under your jurisdiction. At 19 years old, I was raped 10
years ago and I dread to think how many more silent victims there have been
since me…
Secretary De
Lima,
WE NEED YOUR
HELP. Please open your eyes to the plight of rape victims in our country.
Please face the fact that we have a major problem and that the system as it
stands has been proven to ineffective in catching rapists and giving victims
the sense of justice they deserve.The victims of the Philippines NEED YOU to
help us become one of the front runners in the world for defeating this plague
of rape culture that has infected our country for centuries; instead of being a
race and culture that oppresses victims and openly supports criminals.
I implore you
please, as a survivor, as a rape victim, as a woman and above all else as a
fellow Filipina.
PLEASE STAND
WITH US.
Yours Sincerely,
Kat Alano
http://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/81686-kat-alano-open-letter-leila-de-lima-rape
DUTERTE QUESTIONED DE LIMA’S CAPACITY AS SECRETARY
OF JUSTICE BECAUSE OF “MUNTINLUPA ANOMALY”
“DAVAO City
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is not through with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and
former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Etta Rosales yet, as he
questioned some lapses under their departments.
“Duterte said
neither de Lima nor Rosales could file a case against him because "the
only body that could question me with my mouth is the Senate as a whole."
He recalled the
Muntinlupa raid in December and questioned de Lima of her capacity as Jstice
secretary.
“He recalled the
Muntinlupa raid in December and questioned de Lima of her capacity as Jstice
secretary.
“’Do not ***
with me. You have a problem sa Muntinlupa. That warning was given almost about
eight or nine months ago. She acted only very recently. Papunta siya sa loob,
naka bullet proof pa. Eh hindi ka naman matatablan ng bala eh,’ he said.
“I'm just wondering,
what about the DOJ secretary? Now, which is more serious? Ako na sinasabi mong
pumapatay ng mga criminal? O yung prisinto mo na nagluluto ng shabu,
nakakapasok ang mga babae, and all these things. How about the lives destroyed
ng mga preso na yan?" he added.”
[“De Lima,
Rosales still in line of fire,” Sunday, May 31, 2015. Sun Star]
AQUINO’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS
IN BREACH OF ITS OBLIGATION TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE RIGHT TO LIFE AGAINST
BOTH EXTRALEGAL KILLINGS AND ENFORCED DISSAPEARANCES
“It’s ironic
that these disappearances happened at the heel of the country’s recent
universal peer review at the Human Rights Council. Almost all countries that
quizzed De Lima on the Aquino administration’s human rights record expressed
concern that the government is in breach of its obligation to promote and
protect the right to life against both extralegal killings and enforced
disappearances. The concerns were not that Aquino was behind these, but that
this administration was not discharging its obligations to investigate,
prosecute and punish the perpetrators of these killings and disappearances.
In fairness, I
am sure that Aquino himself has never condoned these affronts on the right to
life. Unfortunately, part of what international law demands of him is not just
to publicly renounce these crimes, but also to punish the perpetrators thereof.
“While the
numbers of disappearances has not been as large as in other countries such as
Peru, there is still reason for alarm. If Zuniga, a seasoned litigator, a
respected member of the legal community in Bataan, and a respected church
leader could disappear without a trace, what happens now to normal mortals when
they disappear?”
[“Disappeared”
by Harry Roque, Harry Roque’s Blog]
DE LIMA’S INACTION OF MAMASAPANO CASE
WILL HURT HER SENATORIAL BID
“MANILA -
Members of the so-called "Saturday group" of the House of
Representatives, composed of former soldiers and policemen-turned-politicians,
have called for the filing of cases regarding the Mamasapano incident, warning
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that this may hurt her possible senatorial bid
in 2016.
“Magdalo Rep.
Gary Alejano said charges should be filed as soon as possible because the
investigations have supposedly revealed enough.
“Alejano pointed
out that warrants of arrest will also pressure the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) to pursue accountability for members involved in the incident.
“Another Magdalo
party-list representative, Ashley Acedillo, said if de Lima steps down from
office to pursue political plans without having the charges file, "Iyun
ang magiging unang unang issue sa kaniya pagtakbo niya."
“Anti-Crime and
Terrorism thru Community Involvement & Support (ACT-CIS) Rep. Samuel
Pagdilao, for his part, said "given she made the same promise, we're just
counting the days to see whether it was a word of a non-politician or a budding
politician."
“De Lima is
supposedly eyeing a senatorial candidacy in 2016.
“Pagdilao said
he wonders if the delay in filing charges is to save the MILF from any pressure
should warrants of arrest be issued for its members. Pagdilao believes this
might affect the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as it will test
the sincerity of the MILF.
“Acedillo
reiterated their group's previous pleas for justice and accountability for the
incident, noting that not one case has been filed against anyone. He also
warned the Aquino administration that it may leave a legacy similar to the one
left by the Arroyo administration because of the Maguindanao massacre of 2009.
“Antipolo Rep.
Romeo Acop said he has become less confident that that justice will be served
for the policemen killed by MILF and other armed men in Mamasapano last
January.
“Acop noted that
de Lima has yet to fulfill her promise to lawmakers that charges related to the
incident will be filed soon.
“The lawmakers
who conducted a joint probe on the Mamasapano incident said the committees'
report will be released soon.
“Acedillio noted
that since other bodies have finished their investigations, the House report
must be comprehensive and be able to fill in the gaps left by those other
investigations.
“He said unless
the committee report is issued during the congressional recess in October, the
group may come up with its own report.”
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/26/15/mamasapano-inaction-may-hurt-de-limas-potential-2016-bid
CANNOT SOLVE MAMASAPANO CASE, NEEDS TO CREATE
ANOTHER “SENSATIONAL CASE” FOR HER SENATORIAL
BID, THUS FOCUSING ON JUN SAMSON'S CASE
“Iglesia ni
Cristo (INC) on Wednesday questioned the motive of Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima in what it deemed was “extraordinary attention” given to the illegal
detention case filed by expelled minister Isaias Samson Jr. against the leaders
of the church. Illegal detention is a nonbailable offense.
“Samson, a
minister for more than 40 years, used to be the Sanggunian member in charge of
foreign mission and editor in chief of the INC official organ before he was
expelled by the INC leadership.
“Bienvenido
Santiago, INC general evangelist, also said De Lima should show the same
enthusiasm in resolving the Mamasapano case in which 44 members of the police
Special Action Force were killed, including two INC members, in an operation in
Maguindanao province.
“The complaint
filed by Samson, we learned, is moving because of the guidance of Secretary
Leila de Lima, who gave it extraordinary attention. What is the motive? She
herself personally attended to the complaint,” Santiago said in a press
briefing at the INC central office in Quezon City.
The INC official
wondered why the Department of Justice (DOJ) did not give attention to the case
of the 40 policemen who died in Mamasapano like what it did to those who filed
a complaint in the DOJ on Tuesday.
“Compared with
the 40 policemen who died in Mamasapano, not a single mosquito died in the
complaint filed by Samson,” Santiago said.
The INC official
said two church members—Nicky Nacino and Ephraim Mejia—were among the Fallen 44
but the church quietly waited for the DOJ to go after the personalities
responsible for the bloody operation, including government officials who should
be held accountable.
“We want
Secretary De Lima and anyone who ordered her to know that Iglesia is
requesting, in the name of those left behind by the two men who died in
Mamasapano, who were our brothers in Iglesia, that they aggressively pursue the
case of the Fallen 44,” Santiago said.
“In short, the
justice department should be fair and without bias. [This is] the least we
expect from the Department of Justice is justice,” he added.”
[“INC accuses De
Lima of double standard” by Erika Sauker, Jerome Aning,
27 August 2015. Inquirer.net]
CHIZ TO LEILA: DON’T HIDE, FACE INC PROTESTERS WHO
WANT TO SOLVE THEIR ‘FAMILY PROBLEMS’ INTERNALLY
“Senator Francis
Escudero said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima should face the growing throng of
Iglesia Ni Cristo at the Padre Faura gates of the Department of Justice.
“De Lima was
forced to sneak out of the DOJ backdoor after INC protesters blocked the exit
gates Thursday afternoon.
In an interview
with DZMM radio, Escudero said that if Customs Commissioner Bert Lina faced
irate overseas Fipino workers (OFWs), de Lima should also face the thousands of
INC protesters to personally know what they are demanding.
Escudero said
that de Lima should have not intervened in the INC problem involving alleged
corruption of its inner circle and intimidation, and abduction of some members.
“Escudero said
that de Lima should have allowed the INC to resolve its problems internally
before stepping in and making it a court case. “It’s like a family problem,
family members should be allowed to settle the issue themselves,” said
Escudero.
“Escudero said
that the INC issue should have been tackled first at the DOJ prosecutor level
and he was surprised why de Lima has taken personal interest in the case.
“Instead of
focusing her time on the INC isse, Escudero said that de Lima should have
prioritized the filing of cases in the Mamasapano massacre last January/ “In
Mamasapano, 44 lives were lost. She should have started this case a long time
ago,” said Escudero.”
[“Chiz to Leila:
Don’t hide, face INC protesters who want to solve their ‘family problems’
internally” Politics]
NOW WE KNOW!
Never in our history did we ever experience and see a situation when the State flexes its muscles to interfere and intervene in the internal affairs of the church or any religious sect. It is only now that this has happened for political expediency no less!
ReplyDeleteReligious freedom of the people is the most sacred of all the freedoms of expression that is enshrined and guaranteed in the Constitution of all free and democratic state like the Philippines. It simply means that the State cannot establish a religion, favor all religions or one over the others, prohibit the establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof, and deny the people of choosing what to believe and to act on their beliefs.
Corollary to this freedom in the Bill of Rights which makes religion an inherent right of every freeman is the principle of the separation of the Church and the State. Thus, the State shall use its resources only to purely secular affairs and let the Church do its religious and spiritual works without intervention and interference.
The on-going issues concerning the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) that have hit the headlines and attracted the attention of the whole nation have been the continuing subject of the major media establishments that in many instances gave not so balanced reporting to our unsuspecting people. Some unscrupulous groups have taken advantage of the purely internal affairs of the INC and tried to exploit the issue to advance their agendas that surely are not supportive of the INC. Worst, the present government through the Department of Justice (DOJ) wield its force, draws its sword and readies its might to strike against the INC in the guise of enforcing the rule of law.
The rule of law to be truly just an impartial must be in accord with the due process and the equal protection clauses of the Constitution. When the DOJ took special attention and cognizance of the cases filed by alleged former members of INC against their leaders, and even gave dominant media coverage, with no less than the media hungry Justice Secretary Leila De Lima who never denied her interest and thirst to be in the Senate next year in the forefront, the issue is so vivid that the PNoy government has shown bias and partiality against the INC. This is unconstitutional, pure and simple.
I am a Catholic and not a member of the INC. I may not agree with how the INC leaders and members practice their religious beliefs but I give my highest respect to them just as I give my highest respect to our other Christian and Muslim brothers. As a Constitutionalist, I condemn the government, especially the DOJ and Secretary De Lima for her untoward action, for committing grave abuse of power and discretion involving the INC case that threatens the most important freedom of man and could put the Nation into a crisis situation.