DOJ defers submission of counter-affidavits in Robredo sedition case
The Department of Justice (DOJ) suspended yesterday the submission of counteraffidavits of Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 others accused of plotting the ouster of President Duterte on the sedition complaint against them.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas said the decision came as 15 different motions from the respondents were filed before the preliminary investigation yesterday, prompting the DOJ to settle them first.
“(The) respondents submitted several motions, hence the panel decided to suspend and to defer the filing of the counter-affidavits, pending the resolution of these 15 motions,” Torrevillas said during the preliminary investigation.
The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was given 10 days to submit its comments on the motions before this could be deemed submitted for resolution. The submission of counter-affidavits of the respondents has also been scheduled on Sept. 6.
Caloocan Bishop Pablo David, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas and retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. have already filed their counteraffidavits a few days before the preliminary investigation yesterday.
The CIDG has filed sedition, inciting to sedition, libel, cyberlibel, estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice against Robredo and 35 others on their alleged ouster plot against Duterte.
Former senators Antonio Trillanes and Bam Aquino and Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros; senatorial bets of the 2019 elections opposition slate Otso Diretso, several human rights lawyers, priests and bishops were among those charged by the CIDG.
Opposition figures Chel Diokno, Erin Tañada, Florin Hilbay, priests Flaviano Villanueva, Alberto Alejo and Robert Reyes were among those present, with lawyers of both the opposition and the respondents.
The CIDG’s case stemmed from the “sworn statement” of Peter Joemel Advincula who identified himself as “Bikoy” in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that linked Duterte, his family members and several supporters in the alleged drug trade in the country.
“(The) respondents are only obliged to controvert the evidence submitted by the complainants, which are contained in these records,” the prosecutor added.
She has also given the CIDG five days to provide all 36 respondents the flash drive containing videos, which it used as evidence in the filing of charges against Robredo and several others.
Robredo earlier asked the DOJ to compel the Philippine National Police (PNP) to produce the evidence in the sedition case filed against her and 35 other respondents by the CIDG.
The PNP welcomed the DOJ’s move and said the respondents are entitled to seek all available remedies for their defense.
“The respondents are given all the right to seek legal remedies under the justice system,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a text message.
OSG a ‘lapdog’
During the preliminary investigation yesterday, Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Villanueva Miranda was grilled by some of the respondents’ lawyers, who questioned the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG)’s involvement in the case.
Diokno’s lawyer Arno Sanidad raised a motion before the prosecutors, questioning the OSG’s authority to represent the CIDG, which was echoed by former senator Rene Saguisag, who represented Senator Hontiveros.
“The Office of the Solicitor General should be the tribune of the people; they should not be the ‘tuta’ (lapdog) of the administration,” Saguisag said, eliciting laughter from attendees of the preliminary investigation.