Courtesy: Senate Social Media Unit
SENATOR Risa Hontiveros has sought to penalize individuals who will coerce or manipulate witnesses to lie or provide false testimony, with higher penalties for public officials who will commit the act.
Hontiveros filed a bill seeking to define and penalize subornation of perjury, which is procuring, coercing, or inducing another to commit perjury. Those involved in this act this will face the same penalties for perjury, her bill proposed.
But if the one committing the act is a public officer or employee, the latter will also be fined P1 million and perpetually disqualified from holding appointive or elective office in the government.
In filing the bill, Hontiveros said this act, especially when committed by those in power, “strikes at the core of justice by undermining the truth-seeking function of the legal system.”
“This bill seeks to preserve the integrity of court proceedings and maintain public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the legal process by sending a strong message that dishonesty and corruption within the legal system will not be tolerated,” she said.
The bill comes after several witnesses against former Sen. Leila de Lima, Hontiveros’ ally, recanted their testimonies linking De Lima to the illegal drug trade
De Lima was recently freed from bail after close to seven years in jail on what she maintains are bogus drug charges. She was acquitted in two of the charges and recently granted bail for the third one.
She is one of the most vocal critics of the violent war on drugs of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
