JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II slammed Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday for filing a case against President Rodrigo Duterte with the Supreme Court.
In a press conference, Aguirre said the writ of habeas data filed by the senator challenging the President's immunity from suit will be immediately dismissed.
"That is a petition that will go straight to the waste basket," Aguirre said.
On Monday, de Lima filed a petition with the SC seeking to stop the President and his agents from obtaining her personal data, and using them against her.
But Aguirre said it is impossible that the SC will favor her petition, as she is being investigated for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
"How could you stop government authorities from questioning or from investigating you when no less than 10 individuals have said that you are the protector of drug trade in the Bilibid or in the Philippines?" Aguirre said.
"Could you imagine the Supreme Court telling the police or the president or the DOJ to stop investigating a person with several cases already? I don't think so," he added.
Aguirre further said that the President's immunity, under the constitution, is absolute.
"That is an established doctrine. The President is immune from suit, absolute yan," the justice secretary said.
De Lima, accused of benefiting from the drug trade inside the state penitentiary, is facing four cases with the DOJ.
The complainants in the cases – which are set to be consolidated – are the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), former officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), NBP high profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian, and the NBI itself, the lead department tasked to probe the issue. (Sunnex)
