THE Philippine Department of Justice on Friday, August 9 began its preliminary probe into the sedition complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo and other personalities for allegedly being involved in a plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
Aside from Robredo, who is the chair of the minority Liberal Party, former senators and failed senatorial bets identified with the party, Catholic Church leaders and lawyers were named in the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
Robredo on Thursday asked the DOJ to compel the PNP to produce more evidence in its allegations before she submits her counter-affidavit.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas, who heads the panel of prosecutors for the complaint, shared that during the preliminary investigation proceeding, they received at least 15 motions that arose from the possibility that the PNP-CDIG may yet submit more evidence.
She added that the filing of counter-affidavits has been suspended and deferred “pending the resolution of these 15 motions.”
The PNP-CDIG was given five days by the prosecutors to submit its comment and opposition to the respondents’ motions.
“After five days, with or without comment, we will have the motion submitted for resolution,” Torrevillas said.
“Only those [pieces of] evidence submitted by the CIDG and only those [pieces of] evidence which are already part of the record, will be appreciated and considered in resolving the complaint,” she added.
The tentative filing of the respondents’ counter-affidavits has been set by Torrevillas on September 6.
Sometimes, too much ambition and self-righteousness could lead you to trouble without noticing you are already falling into it.