Lozano dared to prove bribery claim vs prosecutors in car theft case

Department of Justice (DOJ) Sec. Leila de Lima on Wednesday told lawyer Oliver Lozano to substantiate his claims against prosecutors handling the criminal complaint he filed against alleged leaders and members of the Dominguez car theft syndicate, which allegedly killed the lawyer's son last January. De Lima told reporters that it was unfair for the prosecutors to be accused of receiving bribes after finding probable cause to cases of car theft with homicide against Roger and Raymond Dominguez and their four alleged henchmen. Lozano has filed a complaint of car theft with murder for the killing of Emerson Lozano, but the three-member panel of DOJ prosecutors said the facts and evidence presented during the preliminary investigation were unable to establish murder. "May I advise Attorney Lozano to go slow in making those accusations. If he has evidence that there was bribery, then by all means submit the evidence to me. I will do whatever is necessary," said De Lima. De Lima added that mere dissatisfaction with the prosecutors' findings does not justify public statements that the prosecutors received bribes in exchange for filing a less severe criminal case against the Dominguezes' group. "Kung ganun lang dahil hindi nagustuhan ang resolution, hindi nasunod ang expected nila na murder [ang dapat ikakaso], then mag-aaccuse na sila ng bribery? That's not fair to our prosecutors," she said. Lozano has appealed to the DOJ to "upgrade" the case from car theft with homicide to car theft with murder. His family believes that money may have changed hands to downgrade the charges, Lozano added. "We believe that you were allegedly bribed for P50 million to unduly delay the resolution, downgrade [the case] and recommend San Fernando, Pampanga, as venue [of the trial]," Lozano told the DOJ panel in his separate petition. "Your malicious and malevolent malfeasance is outrageous and odious. You appear as lambs, but you are betrayed by your profitable resolution," he added. No downgrading But on Wednesday, De Lima clarified that there was no downgrading in connection with the case to be filed against the Dominguezes' group. "The preliminary investigation is precisely the process whereby the prosecutors would determine what is the correct charge based on the facts and evidence during preliminary investigation. The fact that it's not the same charge as expected by the complainant does not mean there is a downgrading," said De Lima. She also stressed that a downgrading only happens when the criminal information is amended during appellate proceedings. — LBG, GMA News