Sen. De Lima says she has no plan to run away following lookout bulletin

Senator Leila de Lima. (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Lookout bulletin or not, Senator Leila de Lima said Monday she has no plan to leave the country to dodge allegations against her after the justice department issued an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against her and five others.

In a chance interview, de Lima said the bulletin against her and five others who are allegedly involved in the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, was “unnecessary”.

The senator said in previous interviews that despite the prodding of her relatives and friends for her to leave the country, she preferred to stay because she had nothing to run away from.

A lookout bulletin order is issued to subject persons to at least monitor the itineraries of their flight, travel, and/or whereabouts.

It allows a person to travel with permission from the Department of Justice.

Aside from de Lima, also issued an LBO are de Lima’s former driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, former justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Franklin Bucayu, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Reginald Villasanta, and de Lima’s former security aide Joenel Sanchez.

De Lima also reiterated that New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jaybee Sebastian was being used as a “government asset” to testify against her to pin her down.

Sebastian, in a House of Representatives probe on the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs inside the penitentiary, denied de Lima’s claim that he was forced to testify.

Last Sept. 28, a riot erupted inside the NBP involving high-profile inmates. This led to the death of inmate Tony Co and injured inmates Sebastian, Peter Co and Vicente Sy.

Sebastian claimed the riot was a move to stop him from testifying in the Congress.