Koko not yet off the hook at DoJ
DESPITE his victory before the Senate Electoral Tribubal (SET), which junked two complaints that sought to disqualify him as senator, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd is not yet free from criminal charges that he is facing before the Department of Justice (DoJ).
In a viber message, DoJ Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said the charges of violation of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) quarantine protocols filed against Pimentel were still alive.
Malcontento added that the complainant, Rico Quicho, former dean of the University of Makati College of Law, was asked to comply with procedural requirements of the complaint.
Quicho lodged the complaint against Pimentel before the DoJ via electronic filing.
The case is still undergoing preliminary investigation.
The chief prosecutor said the department would rule on the charges after the submission of all the original complaints and attachments by Quicho.
“We ordered the complainant to comply with procedural requirements, such as submission of original complaints and attachments. If he will not comply, then [the complaint will be] submitted for decision,” he said.
Malcontento added that once Quicho complied with the requirements, Pimentel would be asked to submit his counteraffidavit and then the DoJ would rule on the case.
“If he will comply, [ Senator Pimentel] will be given 15 days to submit his counter-affidavit,” he said.
Assistant State Prosecutor Wendell Bendoval, the handling prosecutor of the case, issued a subpoena and ordered the conduct of a preliminary investigation against the senator.
Pimentel was slammed by many in social media and by the management of the Makati Medical Center on March 24 after accompanying to the hospital his wife Kathryna who was about to give birth.
At the time, he was a person under investigation, or PUI, and should have observed strict home quarantine after being exposed to a Covid-19 patient.
Pimentel was later found positive for Covid-19.
Worse, it was confirmed that he went shopping at S&R supermarket after a CCTV footage was released that he indeed roamed the shop.
Quicho earlier said Pimentel had committed several violations, including his failure to disclose his health status while a Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine was in force.
The National Bureau of Investigation is conducting a separate criminal investigation of the senator.
On Tuesday, the SET dismissed for lack of merit two quo warranto petitions against Pimentel that sought to nullify his eligibility to seek reelection in the May 2019 race to the Senate.