MALOLOS CITY – Justice Secretary Leila De Lima vowed to defend before Supreme Court (SC) the power of the Justice Secretary which was questioned in the light of the watch list order they issued against former First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo.
“We will try to convince the magistrates of the Supreme Court that we have enough bases for the issuance of the watch list order (WLO),” De Lima said after celebrating her 52nd birthday in advance at the Bulacan Provincial Jail on Wednesday morning.
She said that the power of the Justice Secretary to issue a WLO was based on a Department Circular No. 41.
The said circular was issued by her predecessor, former acting Secretary Alberto Agra.
De Lima said that Department Circular No. 41 is clear that when there is a request to the DOJ for a WLO, the Secretary can issue the same.
She said that the WLO against the former First Gentlemen was issued in the light of an ongoing inquiry by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
With regards to the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the SC to her WLO, De Lima said that it is not yet final.
“It is just a TRO, and that is just a provisional relief, hindi pa iyan patungkol sa merit of the case” she said.
She admitted that the issuance of a TRO by the SC disappointed her, but she welcomed it.
De Lima also appealed to the SC magistrates to understand that the WLO was not just Miguel Arroyo, but for future purposes.
“Kung walang WLO, in the future, kahit sino ay pwedeng umalis at takasan ang kaso lalo na kung nasa preliminary investigation pa lang.”
