SENATOR Leila de Lima did not only condone the illegal drug trade, she may have also protected and benefitted from illegal gambling, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said Friday.
Aguirre said De Lima, a former Justice secretary, may soon face another investigation after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered him to investigate online gambling operations owned by Chinese gambling mogul Jack Lam.
“Most probably, he was talking of Leila de Lima, who was being suspected of protecting Jack Lam when she was still the DoJ Secretary because of the proliferation of illegal online gaming,” Aguirre told Manila Standard.
Duterte recently ordered Aguirre to investigate the extent of Lam’s gaming operations, who he said benefitted from an onerous contract allowing him to remit only one percent to the government.
Aguirre’s pronouncements came after President Duterte on Thursday claimed that a certain head of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the state regulator of special economic zones whom he didn’t name, was receiving more than P300 billion as ‘kickbacks’ to protect the online gambling operations of Lam.
Duterte in November named Former Butuan Rep. Charito Plaza as director-general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. She replaced former Peza chief Lilia De Lima, the agency’s head for more than 21 years following her retirement.
The former Peza chief, the aunt of Senator Leila de Lima, was a widely respected official who promoted investments in the Philippines and oversaw export companies operating in special economic zones.
Aguirre said Duterte was more likely to be talking about the senator, not the former Peza chief.
“I’m sure [Duterte] was not referring to Lilia, a good friend and [an official] of unquestionable integrity,” Aguirre said.
“The President might have been mistaken [on Lilia] because they both have almost the same names,” he said.
Recently, Lam allegedly tried to bribe Aguirre to become his protector, but the Justice secretary immediately turned down the offer.