In a statement, Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez called the allegations against her and the others a “kwentong kutsero,” or a tall tale. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra dismissed opposition allegations that the charges were meant to stifle dissent and vowed that the government would prosecute the respondents only if it found probable cause. “I have said this before and I will say it again: the DOJ is not a weapon for oppression or persecution. He then implicated Robredo and other prominent Duterte critics in a plot to discredit the President and destabilize his administration. Not immune from suitWhen she served as justice secretary, De Lima once invoked constitutional and political law to prove the Vice President, unlike the President and members of the diplomatic corps, was not immune from suit.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 19, 2019 22:07 UTC