De Lima, 8 others under immigration lookout

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Hours before the resumption of a House probe into allegations against her, the justice department ordered the issuance of a lookout bulletin for Senator Leila de Lima, her alleged driver-boyfriend, 3 former Aquino administration officials, and an ex-security aide.

Reports from radio DZMM on Monday, October 10, said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II issued the “extremely urgent” order to immigration commissioner Jaime Morente and National Bureau of Investigation chief Dante Gierran for them to monitor the flights, activities, travel and whereabouts of the following:

• Senator Leila de Lima
• Former justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan III
• Former New Bilibid Prison chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu
• Former Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Reginald Villasanta
• Former security aide Joenel Sanchez
• Former De Lima driver Ronnie Dayan 

“They are allegedly involved in the proliferation and trade of illegal drugs” in the NBP and other areas, Aguirre wrote in his order dated October 7, as quoted by DZMM.

De Lima and Baraan are in the drug matrix previously shown to the public by President Rodrigo Duterte. The President later apologized to one of those named in that matrix, former Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr, whom he said was erroneously put in the matrix. De Lima then said Duterte’s apology proves flawed information reaching him.

In a separate order dated October 10, 3 more were included in the lookout bulletin, bringing the total to 9:

• Warren Cristobal, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) escort assigned to De Lima
• Mark Noemin Adricula, supposed De Lima aide
• Jose Adrian Dera, also said to be a De Lima aide

De Lima, however, denied knowing Dera.

“I don’t know him. I haven’t heard about him. ‘Di ko siya kamag-anak, ‘di ko siya kilala (He’s not my relative, I don’t know him),” the senator told reporters on Monday.

The 9 covered by the lookout bulletin, who have not been charged, are part of an ongoing House investigation that has presented as principal witnesses drug convicts serving time in the NBP.

In various testimonies, drug convicts in NBP said they were either given favors or allowed to continue their drug trade in the maximum security jail by De Lima, Baraan, and Bucayu in exchange for money.

Sanchez testified last week on seeing a sex video of De Lima and Dayan, but denied knowledge of the senator’s drug links. – Rappler.com