De Lima: I will not resign

MANILA, Philippines — “I will neither resign nor apologize to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”

This is what Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Sunday as she confirmed that the investigation on the supposed plans of the former President and now Pampanga Representative to seek asylum in three various countries will continue.

De Lima rejected calls for her to resign or even to make a public apology to Mrs. Arroyo after Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso refuted earlier reports that the lady legislator sought an asylum in the said country. “No way, I will resign or apologize.

Why should I? As I repeatedly clarified the info re: Dominican Republic did not come from me. I only confirmed receipt of such info when asked by media,” she said in a text message Besides, she said she received another tip from “a credible source” that Mrs. Arroyo was planning to seek asylum in two other countries.

Pressed on whether the countries she was referring to were Spain and Portugal, De Lima declined to divulge further information.

“I can’t confirm anything yet about Spain and Portugal vis-à-vis the former President’s travel plans pending ongoing verification,” De Lima said.

Last week, De Lima revealed that she received numerous reports that the former President might seek asylum overseas should she be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.

“Anything is possible. They can always do that. What if tama ‘yung hinala namin na this (medical treatment) is just a spectacle to really have a shield for their actual intention na takasan ang mga kasong ito?” De lima asked.

“They can do anything like medical treatment abroad to give it a legal cover,” she added.

One of the report she received from a Justice official through a text message, according to De Lima, entails the alleged plan of the First Couple to seek political asylum in the Dominican Republic – a nation which the Philippines has no extradition treaty.

The report that De Lima received had further revealed that the Arroyos were all in possession of passports to visit the said country.

“May na-receive akong information through a text message na parang asylum status, but that is yet for verification. Definitely, we are verifying ‘yung mga information,” she stressed.

“There are other information that are coming in. It is something we cannot ignore and cannot yet be announcing without verification,” De Lima added.

It was due to these reports that the Justice Secretary hoped the Supreme Court will not grant the Arroyos request for a temporary restraining order against the first couple’s inclusion in the Bureau of Immigration’s watch list.

But De Lima now had denied liability if the information on reported plan of Arroyo to seek asylum in the Dominican Republic were indeed negative.

She also explained she was only performing her duty as Justice Secretary when she moved to verify the report – be it rumor or not.

“As it turned out, BI database revealed that Ambassador Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos was in PH last October 25 to 28. We don’t know the yet the purpose of such recent visit. But, can you blame me as secretary of Justice in probing such info?” she pointed out.

Early Sunday, Arroyo’s lawyer Raul Lambino continued with his tirade against the Justice chief and the administration of President Aquino and went as far as calling for her resignation.

He said the official statement of the Dominican Republic official was “a solid proof that De Lima and Malacañang are peddling lies to the teeth, concocting falsehoods and perpetuating injustices to the extent of not only embarrassing the Arroyos but endangering the Philippines’ friendly relations with other countries.”

Leonard Postrado, Manila Bulletin