Sen. De Lima, Five Others Placed Under a Lookout Bulletin by the DOJ

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a lookout bulletin to Senator Leila De Lima and five other personalities over allegations that they are involved in the illegal drug trade inside the country's national penitentiary or the National Bilibid Prison (NBP).

The lookout bulletin by the DOJ was issued to Sen. De Lima and the five other individuals namely:

• former Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III;
•  former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Franklin Jesus Bucayu;
•  Presidential Security Group (PSG) member Joenel Sanchez;
•  former Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director Reginald Villasanta; and
•  De Lima's former driver and bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan.

The DOJ's lookout bulletin was issued following a request by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and "considering that they may attempt to place themselves beyond the reach of the legal proceses" of the DOJ, according to the two-page signed by Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Based upon the lookout bulletin, the DOJ directs all immigration officers to closely coordinate with the DOJ and NBI and inform them of any attempt by the subjects to leave the country by forwarding details of their flight, itineraries and/or whereabouts.

Normally, the Bureau of Immigration has no power to restrict the travel of a person unless a court, upon finding probable cause to set the case for trial, orders them to do so. But in this case, Aguirre said the subject government officials and employees including De Lima could not leave the country if they fail to show a corresponding travel authority from their heads of offices.