A case will be filed against Leandro Leviste
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will formally charge Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto “Jing” Paras, and five others with qualified human trafficking before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The complaints stem from a completed NBI probe into a suspected “honey trap” scheme aimed at Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
In an ambush interview on Friday, September 4, NBI Director Melvin Matibag divulged this information, based on a report from Inquirer.
“Qualified human trafficking yung ifa-file natin,” Matibag said. It was also said that the complaints are set to be filed this Friday.
Moreover, the NBI is also filing the same charges against talent manager Alias Ken and the four lawyers, Atty. Ruy Rondain, Atty. Orlando Mendiola, and the firm’s two junior associates from the Rondain and Mendiola Law Firm, who are supposedly tasked with creating fabricated statements against Recto.
The investigation into the alleged “honey trap” plot began following statements from a talent manager known as “Alias Ken,” who was arrested on human trafficking charges on July 28.
According to Ken, there was an active conspiracy to assassinate the character of a politician or public figure named Recto.
Ken also claimed that he met with an individual named Paras and a group of lawyers at a restaurant in July to orchestrate the scheme.
The plan allegedly involved forcing four of Ken’s female artists to release fabricated statements falsely accusing Recto of drugging and s*xually assaulting them.
The lawyers, who reportedly identified themselves as representatives for an individual named Leviste, were allegedly responsible for drafting the false scripts and statements targeting Recto.
Furthermore, Ken implicated Rep. Leandro Leviste as the primary financial backer of the entire operation.
As of this writing, Leviste has yet to release a statement regarding the charges against him.
