Too early to tap Limlingan as state witness – De Lima

It may be too early to consider Gerardo Limlingan as state witness in corruption charges against Vice President Jejomar Binay, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

“It’s still premature to talk about that. I think that was just an offer,” she said in an interview, reacting to the pronouncement of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that Limlingan could be a state witness against Binay.

De Lima said the Senate has not sought the assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) yet on the matter and explained that her office cannot just intervene on the issue.

“We do not know whether they already contacted Mr. Limlingan. So, let the Senate attend to that and we will just wait if there will be appropriate request from the Senate,” she stressed.

De Lima said that normally, the Senate could ask the DOJ to cover personalities involved in its inquiry under the witness protection program (WPP).

She cited as example the earlier request to place former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado under the WPP.

But she clarified that there are requirements under the law before a respondent or accused in criminal cases could qualify as state witness.

De Lima said the DOJ, through the National Bureau of Investigation, is now tracking Limlingan and other personalities ordered arrested by the Senate for contempt for not cooperating with the investigation.

“NBI has reported to me that they have not really seen him. They have traced the addresses of Mr. Limlingan but he was not found there,” she said.

The DOJ chief also refused to comment on the reported statement of Limlingan, through his lawyers, denying his alleged role as bagman of the vice president in anomalies during the latter’s term as mayor of Makati City.

“I don’t think I’m in a position to be expressing my opinion or comments on that because the issue is not with us. The hearings are before the Senate,” she explained.