Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Politicians facing criminal charges, like Senator Leila de Lima, deserve the same treatment as ordinary citizens, said the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Monday.
“Let her be detained in ordinary jail,” Dante Jimenez, VACC’s founding chairman told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
“No special treatment. Diyan kami aalsa [That is where we will protest],” he added.
VACC was one of the parties to file drug cases against De Lima at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court last week for her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison drug trade when she was Justice Secretary from 2010 to 2015.
Muntinlupa RTC branches 204, 205, and 206 were chosen to handle the cases in a raffle on Monday. The judges will review the case and decide if an arrest warrant is necessary for De Lima.
Related: De Lima’s drug cases may be raffled today
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa on Sunday offered the Camp Crame Custodial Center to be the facility for the senator should an arrest warrant be served.
Related: PNP Chief offers De Lima Camp Crame’s Custodial Center
“To us, this is the best time now to show to the world, to your countrymen that even if he or she is a senator of the land… kung sino man yan, huwag siyang bigyan ng [whoever that is, don’t give that person] special treatment,” said Jimenez.
In recent years, convicted politicians are given special, separate detention cells.
Among them are Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, who are serving their time in the Camp Crame Custodial Center. They are both convicted of plunder for the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam.
Previous President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was on hospital arrest before the Supreme Court cleared her of plunder charges last year.
“Let her be treated equally among all those being charged of heinous crimes,” said Jimenez. “So sa amin [for us], we wish that the court who will handle this (will) let her join… regular detention centers.”
De Lima, who has maintained her innocence on the charges filed against her, says she is ready to be arrested, and will not resist.
“Hindi po ako tatakas. Hindi po ako magtatago. Hindi po ako pupunta ng hospital… magwe-wheelchair, magne-neckbrace,” De Lima told reporters, alluding to Arroyo, who wore a neck brace and was in a wheelchair around the time she faced plunder charges. “Wala akong gagawin na mga ganu’ng estilo.”
[Translation: I will not escape. I will not hide. I will not go to the hospital… use a wheelchair or neckbrace. I won’t use that style.]
This statement by De Lima should be granted, said Jimenez.
“Let’s give her her wish. That’s her wish, and that is also our demand as victims of illegal drugs in this country,” he said. “Please, so that maramdaman niya… ano po ang condition ng jails natin [so she can feel the conditions of our jails], as being experienced by ordinary Filipinos.”
However, Jimenez also implored President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to begin improvements in the living conditions in jails.
Already-crowded Philippine prisons are dealing with further congestion as drug suspects were arrested or turned themselves in following the country’s war against drugs. In one Quezon City jail, a CNN report last year found 4,000 people crammed into a space built for 800 inmates. The latest annual report of the Bureau of Corrections recorded over 23,000 inmates in New Bilibid Prison alone and an overall congestion rate of 158 percent in 2015.
Watch: Inside the Quezon City Jail
“Have you improved… after the Marcos era, the detention centers, the prison cells, the Muntinlupa [penitentiary]?” said Jimenez. “Duterte administration now must take this as one of the challenges of his administration. Improve detention centers,” he added.
Jurisdiction over De Lima cases: DOJ or Ombudsman?
De Lima and allies in the Liberal Party have maintained her innocence, calling the cases filed against her as political persecution by the Duterte administration against any opposition.
They argued that the concerned parties should have filed the cases at Sandiganbayan through the Ombudsman instead, and not at the lower RTC.
“We assert that the Ombudsman has primary jurisdiction over cases against public officers cognizable by the Sandiganbayan. Violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which is the DOJ’s case against Sen. De Lima, falls under ‘other offenses committed by public officials’ listed in the Sandiganbayan Law,” the Liberal Party wrote in its statement released last week.
“This filing before the RTC is clearly an attempt to undermine our court processes,” it said. “It is an underhanded maneuver meant to go after critics, regardless of legal bases or processes.”
Jimenez maintained that they were advised by their lawyers to go to the RTCs instead.
“Sabi ng lawyers namin sa VACC, cognizable dito ang RTCs [Our lawyers here at VACC say that the RTCs are cognizable]… because this is illegal drug trading,” he said. “She did not do this as secretary of justice, but in her personal capacity.”
VACC slams human rights groups
Jimenez disputed Human Rights Watch’s claim that the charges against De Lima were, as the group said, “politically motivated.”
He denied speculations that high profile inmates were coerced to testify against De Lima.
“Sa aking nakita sa body languages nila… wala akong nakitang coercion,” said Jimenez.
[Translation: From what I saw based on their body language… I didn’t see any coercion.]
“The politically motivated case against de Lima shows how Duterte’s war on drugs’ threatens not only the thousands of people targeted, but the criminal justice and political systems,” said Phelim Kine, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director.
Jimenez slammed Human Rights Watch, saying that those affected by drug-related crimes are the real victims.
“You don’t know the grounds here in the Philippines,” said Jimenez. “Have you touched base with the victims, us? We are the victims!”
However, he agreed that there were innocent people who were killed in the war on drugs. Jimenez said that VACC was also moving do something about these cases, whom he called “collateral victims.”
He also criticized the Commission of Human Rights for not “touching base” with VACC.
“Ang perception po namin sa [Our perception of] (CHR), you are protecting the criminals!” said Jimenez.
“Their chairman has not even talked to me yet. Chito Gascon, mag-usap tayo [let’s talk],” he added. “We’re open of course. We need your help.”
