The Department of Justice has tentatively set its preliminary investigation on the criminal complaint filed against Senator Aquilino Pimentel III for his alleged violation of public health protocols and quarantine laws on May 20.
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said they will send the subpoena and a copy of the complaint to Pimentel on Tuesday.
Lawyer Rico Quicho, who filed the complaint against Pimentel, confirmed that he has received an order from the DOJ to file a hard copy of the complaint and to swear under oath within five days from the lifting of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which was extended to April 30. It was original set to end midnight of April 13.
In his complaint, Quicho accused Pimentel of violating Republic Act No. 11332 and regulations from the Department of Health after the lawmaker accompanied his wife to a hospital despite supposedly being under quarantine for a then-suspected COVID-19 infection.
The “non-cooperation of persons or entities that should report and/or respond to notifiable diseases or health events of public concern,” and the “non-cooperation of persons who have been identified as having the notifiable disease, or those affected by the health event of public and the “non-cooperation of persons who have been identified as having the notifiable disease, or those affected by the health event of public concern” are penalized by RA 11332.
