MANILA, Philippines - Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday denied reports she is interested in the contract for software and database management of the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) clearance system, which supposedly was one of the reasons why former NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula was axed from his post.

The bidding for the software and database management system was opened last year following the expiration of NBI's contract with Mega Data Corp.

De Lima insisted Gatdula was found liable by a DOJ fact-finding panel for conspiring in the alleged kidnapping and extortion of undocumented Japanese Noriyo Ohara.

"Alam mo di ko maitindihan kung bakit si former Director Gatdula keeps on, you know, distorting the issue. Bakit kung ano ano na sinabi nya. What does he mean by that?" she said.

De Lima said Gatdula was probably referring to the creation of the special bids and awards committee (SBAC) discussed by DOJ officials, who suggested the committee's creation.

"But in the SBAC, members din diyan ang NBI," she added.

"Then may mga reports pa na parang iyung nagiging favored bidder nila nun dun sa papalit sa megadata ay yung parang may mga questionable records din so I felt that the DOJ had to intervene. But imputing something to me, What are they saying ? What is that ? Anong klase binabato nila sa aking ganyan," he said.

"Why do they keep on raising these issues about politics, about because I want someone, because I want a guy of my own choice to take his place, and then now that contract. So what is he insinuating? That I'm financially interested? Excuse me, I don't do those things," the DOJ chief said.

Asked to comment about a press conference by the Gatdula camp this morning wherein Gatdula's lawyer alleged that Ohara is being "pressured" by people from the DOJ to file a criminal complaint against the former NBI chief, De Lima said: "Hahaha! What? Please, ayaw kong patulan yung mga ganyan. Ang payo ko sa kanila, can they just confront the charges head on?

"May avenue naman and that is the preliminary investigation. So bakit nagpe-presscon sila kung anu ano binabato nila sa amin?" she asked.

"I can't understand. What is that ? On account of the bitterness of the former director na kanino bang kagagawan yan, kanino bang kalokohan yan? Hndi sa amin yang kalokohan na yan, kanila yan, so harapin nila yung kaso. Stop imputing anything. Stop threatening our people," she said.

De Lima added that some members of the fact-finding panel have been receiving threatening texts in relation to the issue.

"Imbes na pigilan nila, harapin nila ang mga kaso. Hindi yung kung anu-anong mga issues, ano-anong misleading. Ohara is under the witness protection program now because precisely she cooperated in the fact finding," she said. "She executed an affidavit."