(Eagle News) — It was supposedly a happy day for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who was celebrating her 56th birthday on Thursday, Aug. 27.
But her special day which was to be celebrated with a party at the DOJ did not go as planned as members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo trooped to the DOJ to denounce what they termed as the “special treatment” being given to a complaint of an expelled INC minister the filing of which she had helped facilitate.
INC members sang her a happy birthday song, and also brought along placards that denounced the unusual personal attention she gave to the “illegal detention” complaint lodged by expelled minister Isaias T. Samson Jr., with the DOJ.
When interviewed by reporters, De Lima said she opted not to give any comment. She insisted she was just doing her job.
“Ayaw kong magcomment sa issue na yan. I’m supposed to be making peace with everyone on this special day. Ginagawa ko lang po ang aking trabaho at ang aking motibo ay fealty to my sworn duty. Wala po akong ibang motibo,” De Lima said.
De Lima announces senate bid, Aquino skips bday event
De Lima also announced her intention to run for the senate during her birthday.
She has said before she will resign from the Cabinet once she files her certificate of candidacy.
President Aquino was supposed to be the special guest in De Lima’s birthday celebration on Thursday, Aug. 27.
But the President decided to skip the event as news of INC members surrounding the DOJ reached him.
Members of the Presidential Security Group were being posted at the DOJ when members of the INC started flocking along Padre Faura Street in Manila.
During de Lima’s party at the DOJ grounds, she said: “From J to S, [are you with me]?” addressing the crowd of employees, prosecutors, National Bureau of Investigation officials and several guests.
“J” refers to the Department of Justice and “S” refers to the Senate.
INC members who went to the DOJ to protest De Lima’s actions, noted the fast pace by which the “illegal detention” complaint against the INC leaders had been filed with De Lima’s office.
In an interview, Senator Chiz Escudero also noted that the filing of the said complaint with the DOJ did not go through the usual process of having a preliminary investigation with the prosecutor’s office. He said this practice of filing the case directly with the DOJ is allowed by the department only in special cases, especially in cases of national gravity.
Escudero said De Lima should face the INC rallyists and explain what she did to clarify matters. This is if she really believes that what she did was right.
But De Lima decided to keep mum and evaded the INC rallyists. She left the DOJ yesterday through another exit gate near the Supreme Court, according to sources.
The INC’s assembly is expected to last until the weekend.
