Pubdate: Sat, 20 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622

BURDEN OF PROOF

The person accused of wrongdoing is a senator, and it is his duty, 
President Duterte said, to tell the truth to the nation. On Wednesday 
he hurled serious accusations against Sen. Leila de Lima, saying she 
had an affair with her married driver who collected drug payola from 
convicts at the New Bilibid Prison.

While the President said he was not sure if the drug money was 
forwarded to De Lima when she was the secretary of justice, he added 
that this seemed to be the case. The story about the driver is not 
new. As early as 2014, jueteng whistleblower Sandra Cam had alleged 
that the driver, identified as Ronnie Palisoc Dayan, had been made an 
employee of the Department of Justice and was acting as an influence 
peddler in the DOJ and its attached agencies.

This time it is the nation's highest official accusing De Lima of a 
serious offense. Complicity in drug deals, if true, can put the 
senator behind bars for life. Yesterday De Lima strongly denied 
receiving drug money, although she admitted there were "snippets of 
truth" in the President's accusations. She may want to specify the 
snippets. Keeping everyone guessing fuels speculation that the worst 
accusations are true.

Since Dayan's name has been mentioned and his houses, or those of his 
relatives, have been identified, it will also be good for him to 
surface and clear his name.

De Lima can remind the nation about the presumption of innocence. But 
she must also confront the reality that in this country, people tend 
to believe the worst about public officials, especially when the 
accusation has been hurled by an enormously popular president.

It is one thing, however, to accuse, and another to prove it. 
Government prosecutors, who have reportedly launched a probe of De 
Lima, must present solid evidence to back the President's public 
condemnation of a senator. Without the evidence, the President opens 
himself to accusations that he is engaged in a smear campaign to 
dissuade a senator from doing her job and conducting a probe into 
what appears to be systematic, gross human rights violations. Being a 
lawyer, the President knows that the burden of proof is on the accuser.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom