(Eagle News) — Senator Bam Aquino on Friday said there was a “culture of impunity” at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Aquino said this was evident in the dismissal of drug charges against self-confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa, and the placing of alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim Napoles under provisional coverage of the Witness Protection Program.
“For the ordinary Filipino to have any hope for justice, the DOJ must stop perpetrating the culture of impunity in our country and begin upholding the rule of law,”Aquino said.
He said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre should also resign “to give way to a credible and capable Justice secretary.”
“..Theirs is to enact justice for the Filipino people, not to protect drug lords and criminal masterminds…Nasaan ang hustisya para sa mga biktima ng war on drugs at para sa taumbayang nanakawan ng pinaghirapang yaman?” Aquino said.
“The President should put his house in order,” he added.
In junking the drug charges against Espinosa, Peter Lim, Peter Co, Max Miro, Lovely Impal, Lovely Ruel Malindangan, Jun Pepito, Jermy, and several others, the DOJ cited alleged inconsistencies in the affidavits of the prosecution’s sole witness, Marcelo Adorco.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which acted as the complainant, admitted it did not submit Espinosa’s confession he was a drug distributor in a Senate hearing in 2016 as evidence because Espinosa himself retracted his statement during the preliminary investigation.
A second panel of prosecutors has been formed to look into the motion for reconsideration filed by the CIDG.
As for Napoles, the DOJ said she was placed under provisional coverage of the WPP effective February after she executed an affidavit containing additional details about the pork barrel scam.
The DOJ said her affidavit would be under assessment so it could be determined if she would be given full coverage under the program.
