Palace backs De Lima in 'word war' vs ex-Comelec chief

Malacañang on Sunday backed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in advising former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos to prepare his defense in an upcoming investigation on poll fraud in 2004 and 2007, instead of doubting the witnesses who linked him to the mess. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said preparing for one’s defense is the “logical" thing for anyone to do in any case. “Secretary De Lima put it right the first time, focus on your defense instead of discussing in media. Prepare for your defense, that is the logical thing for anyone to do in any case," she said on government-run dzRB radio. But Valte declined to comment on Abalos’ reported claims that De Lima was “harboring a fugitive" when she took in provincial election supervisors Lilia Radam (South Cotabato) and Yogie Martirizar (North Cotabato) as witnesses. Radam and Martirizar had been charged with election sabotage after they failed to appear before the Comelec en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers to explain discrepancies in election documents during the 2007 elections. “We will leave that to the better judgment of Sec. De Lima. Alam niya ginagawa niya sa field na yan (She knows what she is doing)," Valte said. “This is nothing personal. This is pursuant to the investigation of the joint committee formed by the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections," she added. The Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper quoted De Lima as saying last Saturday that Abalos should prepare to defend himself before the government fact-finding panel investigating fraud allegations in the 2004 and 2007 elections, instead of maligning her and the witnesses who linked him to the irregularities. De Lima was also quoted as saying it was neither criminal nor contemptuous if “the purpose of ‘harboring’ is to protect or have custody of the persons with warrants of arrest to be utilized by the prosecution branch as witnesses for the state." — LBG, GMA News