Leviste, 6 others get charges reviewed

The qualified human trafficking complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto “Jing” Paras, and five others over the supposed “honey trap” plot against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto is now under thorough evaluation.

This was revealed by Justice Secretary Frederick Vida, in a press conference on Thursday, saying that the Department of Justice has 10 days to evaluate whether or not the complaints will proceed to a preliminary investigation.

Vida said, “Under the rules, we have 10 days to evaluate and to determine whether the case will proceed to its preliminary investigation or to dismiss the same and give it back to the NBI. We are in that stage now.”

On 4 September, the NBI filed a non-bailable complaint against Leviste, Paras, talent manager “Alias Ken,” and four lawyers from the Rondain and Mendiola Law Firm who were supposedly tasked with creating fabricated statements against Recto.

Dragnet set

The four lawyers are Ruy Rondain, Orlando Mendiola, Patrick Cariaga, and Josemilio Manuel Apostol.

On 28 July, alias Ken was arrested in a human trafficking operation in Manila, prompting an investigation into the supposed “honey trap” operation.

Reports said that “Ken” claimed to have met Paras and the lawyers in a restaurant in July to supposedly plan the “character assassination” scheme in which four of his female artists would issue fabricated statements claiming that Recto forced them to use illegal drugs and have sex with him.