Lawyer who called De Lima 'mother of drug lords' gets government post

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer who branded detained Sen. Leila De Lima the "mother of all drug lords" is now the executive director of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed lawyer Eduardo Bringas to the Office of the President's anti-corruption body on February 7.

Bringas served as counsel of former National Bureau of Investigation directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala when they accused De Lima, one of the most vocal critics of Duterte, of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In the said complaint filed in October 2016, De Lima was named the "mother of all drug lords."

The complaint filed by Bringas was consolidated with the three other drug raps against De Lima.

Bringas also serves as the counsel for Greco Belgica—PACC commissioner—who recently asked the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation of the multibillion-peso Disbursement Acceleration Program under former President Benigno Aquino III.

Just last week, Belgica filed additional documents to the DOJ aid in the case build up on possible criminal cases against Aquino and his former officials.

Bringas is also one of the complainants against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

He joins other lawyers in accusing the vocal Duterte critic of committing sedition, inciting coup d'etat and inciting undue injury against the chief executive.

What is the PACC?

Duterte created the PACC through Executive Order No. 43, issued on October 5 last year.

The commission is tasked to look into lavish lifestyles and graft and corruption activities of public officials.

The creation of the government body came following Duterte's tirades against Ombudsman Conchita Morales and her officials who earlier announced that they will conduct a fact-finding probe on allegations of his hidden wealth.

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carandang was meted with suspension by the Office of the Executive Secretary after it found probable cause to indict him for grave misconduct and grave dishonesty.

The PACC is headed by Dante Jimenez, chair of the Volunteers against Crime and Corruption.