The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed another criminal complaint against Senator Leila de Lima for accepting drug money from Kerwin Espinosa.
On Thursday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said complaints for violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act had been filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against De Lima due to her alleged ties to Eastern Visayas drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa.
De Lima's co-respondents include Espinosa and the senator's former driver, bodyguard, and lover Ronnie Dayan.
Espinosa earlier claimed before a Senate inquiry last November that he gave around P8 million for De Lima's election campaign through Dayan in exchange for protection for his narcotics business.
Dayan supported Espinosa's statements in a separate Senate hearing in December.
The complaint filed by Congress is already with the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court while the four other cases have been submitted for resolution after De Lima failed to submit her counter-affidavit.
On Espinosa’s inclusion, Aguirre said it is up to the court to determine if he will be dropped from the charge sheet to become a state witness.
"Kasama si Kerwin but he is under the Witness Protection Program kaya siyempre ang prosecution will ask for the dismissal or dropping of Kerwin as one of the accused but it depends upon the court," Aguirre told reporters.
De Lima is also facing four drug-related complaints before the DOJ but these were related to allegations that she received drug payoffs from high profile inmates inside the New Bilibid Prison to boost her campaign kitty.
The senator skipped the preliminary investigation conducted by the DOJ last December, thus losing her right to file a written defense to the complaints that may reach the courts.
Aguirre said the panel is due to come out with a resolution on the four complaints within the month.
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