THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on Friday that it will file a complaint against Batangas First District Representative Leandro Leviste and former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras, along with five other individuals, over an alleged conspiracy to frame Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag announced that the bureau will elevate the case to the Department of Justice (DOJ) charging all seven with qualified human trafficking in violation of the Anti‑Human Trafficking Act.
Matibag stated that the evidence gathered satisfies every element required to establish the offense. “Our findings show that they committed qualified human trafficking — all the elements are present,” the NBI chief explained, noting that the complaint formally charges the seven individuals and will serve as the basis for the DOJ’s preliminary investigation. The case stems from an alleged scheme reportedly involving a “honeytrap” operation intended to manufacture compromising evidence against Recto.
In addition to the direct complaint against Leviste, Paras, and their five co‑respondents, the NBI will formally recommend that the DOJ open a separate preliminary investigation into the alleged involvement of four lawyers and one other individual linked to the plot.
The recommendation signals that authorities are widening their inquiry to determine whether legal professionals and other persons also played a role in the alleged conspiracy.
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