FOR the second day, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima remained silent in the face of questions why she was supposedly “inordinately interested” in a case involving an expelled minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo when her office had many other more important cases.
Former congressman Rodante Marcoleta challenged De Lima to explain why she was “unusually interested” in the illegal detention complaint expelled INC minister Isaias Samson Jr. filed against Iglesia leaders.
“What is so spectacular about the case of Isaias Samson?” asked Marcoleta, who served three terms as representative of the Alagad party-list, which is also dominated by the INC.
“This is not a simple case of illegal detention. This also involves the key issue of church and state. [De Lima] should realize that any disciplinary measure against [a church] member is part of religious freedom,” Marcoleta said in a talk show aired over Net25.
“How can she ask people to vote for her when she has not even fulfilled her sworn duty at the DOJ. Her department should be called Department of Selective Justice,” he said, referring to De Lima’s supposed plan to run for senator in next year’s national elections.
“Her motive is clear,” he said. “She wants to shake the unity of the church. She wants to test whether she can cross the line separating the church and the state.”
Marcoleta slammed De Lima for saying that she was just doing her job when she had many other more important cases that needs her attention before she leaves to campaign for the Senate.
“You are not doing your job,” Marcoleta said to De Lima. “You are overdoing your job when you have many other cases needing your attention.”
The former congressman cited the case of the police commandos who were killed in the controversial Mamasapano operation that was approved by President Benigno Aquino III and directed by suspended police chief Alan Purisima.
Marcoleta noted that two of the slain commandos were members of the INC, but De Lima still has not filed charges on the case that is already seven months old.
He also cited the cases of the Disbursement Acceleration Program, Zamboanga siege, collusion in the electricity spot market and human trafficking in Kuwait as examples of important cases that remain pending with De Lima.