Fake lawyer faces charges

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested a woman who posed as a lawyer and sister of the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Myrna Rosales Velez faces estafa and usurpation of authority charges.

She was arrested while applying for an NBI clearance Monday. She is being held at the NBI detention facility.

NBI agents said a complainant claimed that Velez introduced herself as lawyer Paula Dimpna Beatriz Palma Defensor and offered to handle her pending cases in San Mateo, Regional Trial Court (RTC). She also claimed to be the consultant of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

The suspect allegedly received a total of P580,000 from the complainant.

Upon investigation, the NBI discovered that Velez has an outstanding warrant of arrest for estafa and illegal recruitment issued in May 2007 and December 2008, respectively.

The complainant sought NBI’s assistance after she learned that there is no consultant at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and that the late senator’s sister resides abroad.

Writ of Habeas Corpus is a court order requiring the state to bring a prisoner before a judge, who will decide whether the prisoner is being detained lawfully. The 1987 Constitution states that “the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in, or directly connected with, invasion.”