Lacson to grill DOJ chief De Lima before CA

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that he will be asking "a lot of questions" to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima when she faces the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), of which he is now a member. "Marami. I'm preparing all questions... Panoorin ninyo (I am preparing many questions. Just wait and see)," Lacson told reporters in an ambush interview Thursday. De Lima was critical of Lacson when he was trying to evade arrest for his alleged involvement in the November 2000 murders of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito killings. She even ordered a reinvestigation after the Court of Appeals junked the case. Lacson did not say what kind of questions he would be throwing at De Lima, but noted that nominees or appointees like De Lima are required to answer policy questions during confirmation hearings. " Ang inaalam dito, qualified ba saka competent ba? Pwedeng qualified pero hindi naman competent. Of course, kung hindi qualified, siguro hindi na rin competent," he said. (What we try to find out is whether they are competent. They can be qualified but not competent. If they are not qualified, they are most probably also not competent.) De Lima, who was at the Senate for a hearing on the Anti-Money Laundering Law, said she does not take personally Lacson's statement and that she welcomes whatever questions he or other CA members have for her. "I'd like to say that I'll be ready always kahit hindi si Senator Ping Lacson ang mag-interrogate sa akin sa CA (even if Senator Ping Lacson wouldn't be the one to interrogate me before the CA)," she told reporters on Thursday. The Justice secretary likewise admitted that tons of questions are bound to arise regarding her position because the Department of Justice (DOJ) has a lot of "challenges and responsibilities. "I think it is but natural na yung sinasalang na Justice Secretary ay… parang ginigisa (that the Justice Secretary would be grilled). I would expect that kind of atmosphere," she said. De Lima said she hopes that the CA members will not be too rough on her. "I just want that my rights are also protected when I appear before proceedings like that (so) I would hope and wish that they would be kinder to me," she said. Lacson, meanwhile, said that he is also eager to grill other nominees, not only De Lima. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News