The Department of Justice (DOJ) has temporarily postponed the preliminary investigation on the complaint filed against Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento explained that the complainant, former University of Makati Law School Dean Rico Quicho, must first submit hard copies of the complaint and evidence before the preliminary investigation pushes through. The required documents have only been sent through email.
The complainant has been reached by the DOJ to comply with its requirements within 10 days. Malcontento said if the complainant fails to comply, the complaint will automatically be submitted for decision with the prosecution only utilizing available documents. The hearing for the complaint was initially scheduled this Thursday.
Pimentel allegedly violated the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act after he accompanied his wife to a hospital in Makati despite being aware of stay-at-home protocols while waiting for his COVID-19 test results. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
