If tasked, DOJ ready to look into Imee Marcos' offshore trust — De Lima

 News
Apr 042013
 
If tasked, DOJ ready to look into Imee Marcos' offshore trust — De Lima

If ever she would be put to task, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said she would look into a report that Ma. Imelda “Imee” Marcos is beneficiary of a secret offshore trust in the Carribean. “If it gets refered to us, it’s our duty to preliminary look into that. Kapag me positive finding, that’s the time to make a formal probe,” De Lima told reporters. However, she refused to further comment on the issue, saying: “Huwag niyo muna ako tanungin. Di ko pa nakita document. How can I comment? So lets see,” she said. Under Executive Order 643 issued in July 2007 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Presidential Committee on Good Government was transferred under the DOJ from the Office of the President. The almost 27-year-old PCGG was created through Executive Order No. 1, the first edict that the late President Corazon Aquino signed shortly after the Marcos regime was toppled in 1986. According to a report of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Imee Marcos is one of the beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, which financial records uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists show was formed in June 2002 in the British Virgin Islands. The PCIJ report said that apart from Marcos, other beneficiaries are her adult sons with estranged husband Tomas Manotoc: Ferdinand Richard Michael Marcos Manotoc, Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, and Fernando Martin Marcos Manotoc. The PCIJ said that having offshore trust was “a primary way her father allegedly stashed away hidden wealth Read More …

Kiram followers nabbed by Navy to be charged – De Lima

 News
Mar 142013
 
Kiram followers nabbed by Navy to be charged – De Lima

By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:28 pm | Thursday, March 14th, 2013 Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER/Niño Jesus Orbeta MANILA, Philippines—The 36 followers of Agbimuddin Kiram who were intercepted by the Navy off Tawi-Tawi on Wednesday with a cache of arms after apparently fleeing Sabah  are to be charged with illegal possession of firearms, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Thursday. De Lima said the 35 men and a woman who claimed to be members of the Sultanate of Sulu’s Royal Security Forces (RSF) would be brought to court for inquest on charges of illegal possession of firearms at the least. “They can be charged immediately with illegal possession of firearms and other deadly weapons,’’ De Lima said at a Malacañang news briefing, adding the inquest does not preclude the filing of other charges against them. On criticisms the government was quicker to file charges against them than protesting Malaysia’s alleged inhumane treatment of Filipinos, she said, “This group has committed unlawful and criminal acts, and we can’t set these aside.’’ The interception of the group came a month after Agbimuddin Kiram and his men crossed by speedboats from Tawi-Tawi to Lahad Datu on Feb. 9 to press the sultanate’s claim to Sabah, triggering a standoff with Malaysian forces that eventually led to battles in which the Malaysians threw in aerial and artillery bombardment. More than 60 people have been reported killed since, nine of them members of the Malaysian security forces. The Philippine Navy vessel PS38 intercepted the Read More …

De Lima orders Immigration officers to be on lookout for 3 ‘rescued’ Chinese drug suspects

 Entertainment
Mar 032013
 
De Lima orders Immigration officers to be on lookout for 3 ‘rescued’ Chinese drug suspects

President Benigno S. Aquino III asks Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu to withdraw his supporters in Sabah to end the standoff peacefully during the Press Briefing at the New Executive Building, Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (February 26). In photo is Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday directed Immigration officials to be on the lookout for the three Chinese drug suspects who were apparently rescued by armed men while on their way to a court hearing in Cavite last week. Still unaccounted for are Li Lan Yan alias Jackson Dy, his wife Wang Li na, and Li Tian Hua. All three were “rescued” by around 20 armed people in Trece Martires, Cavite on February 20. “[You are] directed to instruct all Immigration officers to be on the lookout/alert for the above-named individuals should any of them pass through immigration counters in any of our international airports and/or seaports, and to detain and turn them over to the proper authorities,” De Lima said in her lookout bulletin order. At the same time, De Lima instructed Immigration officials to coordinate with police in gathering additional information on the drug suspects, including their full names, aliases, dates of birth, places of birth, copies of their passports or any travel documents, and their latest known pictures. The Justice chief said Immigration officers should also coordinate with other offices and agencies, including airlines, to immediately detect if the Chinese nationals are trying to leave the Read More …

DOJ lawyers to start process of Amalilio extradition

 News
Feb 102013
 
DOJ lawyers to start process of Amalilio extradition

By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:28 pm | Sunday, February 10th, 2013 MANUEL AMALILIO Contributed photo MANILA, Philippines – Lawyers from the Department of Justice would fly to Malaysia to formally start the process of extraditing Manuel Amalilio for allegedly swindling 15 million Filipinos of P12 billion in an investment scam, Malacañang said Sunday. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, debunked reports quoting Malaysian officials as saying that Kuala Lumpur would not extradite Amalilio since he is a Malaysian citizen. “That’s inaccurate because first of all our state counsels from the DOJ were about to go [to Malaysia] to formally start the extradition process,’’ Valte said over government-run dzRB. Even though Malaysia has no extradition treaty with the Philippines, Malaysian law allows extradition under “certain processes,’’ Valte pointed out. In a statement in Malaysia’s Star newspaper Saturday, Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail said Malaysia would not extradite Amalilio, aka Mohammad Kamal, because he is a Malaysian citizen holding a valid and active identification card. Gani said that the Attorney General’s Chambers had received a formal request from the Philippines’ Department of Justice to hand over Amalilio to the Philippines under the Asean Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and freeze his asset. A team of Philippine law enforcers was about to board a plane to Manila with the fugitive on Jan. 25 when they were stopped by senior Malaysian police officials. Amalilio was returned to police custody and subsequently convicted and sentenced for fraud by a Kota Kinabalu court. Quoting Read More …

Despite Palace pronouncement, De Lima says FOI law within reach

 News
Jan 312013
 
Despite Palace pronouncement, De Lima says FOI law within reach

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday told leaders of foreign parliaments that the Philippines is getting closer to enacting a law on better access to government records. De Lima made the pronouncement despite President Benigno Aquino III being lukewarm to the idea of certifying as urgent the current Freedom of Information (FOI) measure pending in Congress. Speaking at the 5th Global Organization of Parliaments Against Corruption (GOPAC) in Pasay City, De Lima emphasized the importance of having a law that guarantees the public of free access to government records. “Freedom of information is the most effective modality to prevent corruption… [and can] make government officials accountable to any wrongdoing,” De Lima said during the event held at the Philippine International Convention Center. “A freedom of information act is very much within our reach,” she added. This was in stark contrast to a pronouncement made by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Thursday that Aquino has no plans on certifying as urgent the current FOI bill, a version of which has been passed in the Senate but remains on second reading at the House of Representatives. “We want a healthy debate [first]. Whether [it’s] this Congress, or the next Congress, we want a healthy debate to take place. That’s what we want and in fairness to all constituents, let’s have a healthy debate… and let’s take it from there,” Lacierda said. He also said that the public can be assured of government transparency even with the absence of a freedom of Read More …

DOJ: Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio also facing complaints in Malaysia

 News
Jan 272013
 
DOJ: Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio also facing complaints in Malaysia

Pending complaints in Malaysia are preventing the return of Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio to the Philippines, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said over the weekend. De Lima said the complaints prompted Malaysian authorities to hold Amalilio and not allow his return home, radio dzBB reported early Monday. “Hinold lang muna ng Malaysian authorities si Mr. Amalilio. May lumutang na local complainants so they have to address those complaints first bago i-turnover sa atin,” De Lima said. The Justice Deparment had said that Amalilio is a Filipino and not a Malaysian national.  Last Friday, National Bureau of Investigation agents who went to fetch Amalilio returned home empty-handed after the Malaysian authorities did not turn him over to them at the last minute. De Lima said it was not immediately clear if those who filed complaints against Amalilio in Malaysia were Filipinos or Malaysians. She said that while the Philippine government is serious in getting him home, it has to respect the processes in Malaysia also. “We are serious in our effort ibalik siya rito pero dapat galangin din natin ang proseso sa Malaysia,” she said. Last weekend, Malacañang reassured the public the appropriate government agencies are making efforts to facilitate the return to the Philippines of Amalilio. Amalilio, whose firm was linked to a P12-billion investment pyramiding scam, was arrested in Malaysia for possession of a fraudulent Malaysian passport and IDs. — RSJ, GMA News

Gov’t to resort to diplomacy to bring back Amalilio to PH—De Lima

 News
Jan 272013
 
Gov’t to resort to diplomacy to bring back Amalilio to PH—De Lima

By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:59 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 MANUEL AMALILIO Contributed photo The government will employ diplomacy to bring back to the Philippines fugitive Manuel Amalilio, alleged brains of the Ponzi scheme that last year duped some 15,000 Filipinos of P12 billion, to face prosecution, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Sunday. It has emerged that complaints of Malaysian scam victims in Kota Kinabalu—not Amalilio’s possible ties with Sabah’s chief minister—prompted Malaysian police to stop Amalilio’s repatriation to Manila from Kota Kinabalu on Friday night, De Lima said. “It’s more of diplomacy,” she told the Inquirer when asked if the options included diplomacy or invoking the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). “Steps are being undertaken. We’re exerting efforts to bring him back. But we can’t be disclosing what these steps are to ensure that, this time, his repatriation pushes through,” she later told reporters in an ambush interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). When pressed for details of the diplomatic tack, De Lima pointed to a “police-to-police cooperation” of both countries. She said it was the cooperation of the Malaysian police that led to Amalilio’s arrest in the first place. “It has always been through mutual police cooperation,” she said. “We’re working on it so that this time it pushes through.” Amalilio is the founder of Aman Futures group that defrauded thousands of investors in the Visayas and Mindanao in a fraudulent investment scam. A Cabinet official, who asked not to be named, said Read More …

 Newer Entries