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Bad hair day? De Lima snaps at reporters

Rappler.com

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'Can you have more decency in your questions?'

BAD MOOD. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima lashes out at reporters when asked why the NBI is taking a while to complete its pork barrel probe. Photo by Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Her agents have so far been luckless in their search for the Napoleses. Is this taking its toll on their boss, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima?

De Lima on Friday, August 16, lashed out at reporters who asked her why it’s taking a while for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to complete its probe on the pork barrel scam. The NBI is under the Department of Justice.

The question followed her comments on the petition lodged by the Napoles camp Friday before the Court of Appeals, which asked for the suspension of the arrest warrants issued against them.

A Makati court ordered the arrest last Wednesday, August 14, of Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynaldo Lim, after the justice department found probable cause to charge them with serious illegal detention. It’s a nonbailable offense.

COA released a special audit report on the pork barrel also on Friday, saying at least 10 nongovernment organizations “presently linked” to Napoles received a total of P2.157 billion in pork barrel between 2007 and 2009.

READ: Napoles NGOS got billions – COA

Asked by reporters about the NBI’s probe on the pork barrel scam, De Lima snapped: “My gosh. COA (Commission on Audit) took two years. Why would you say the investigation of NBI is delayed?”

She added: “Are there better, more substantive questions than that? NBI is having a hard time? Given its magnitude you expect the NBI to complete it in one week? Can you have more decency in your questions?”

On Thursday, August 15, De Lima also questioned critics who accused her of prematurely announcing the issuance of the arrest warrants against the Napoles siblings.

Some sectors have said her announcement to the media Wednesday night might have unceccesarily alerted the Napoles camp.

“Are you blaming me? Why are you blaming me,” she told reporters Thursday, August 15.

She insisted it was her obligation to inform the public that the warrants had been issued and that the Napoles camp was likely tipped off about this before she made the announcement. – Rappler.com

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