Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) – Detained former Senator Leila de Lima should file the appropriate pleading that would grant her temporary liberty, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday.
“I am not objecting personally to any plea that will free anybody from jail. This is something better discussed in court,” Remulla said in an ambush interview.
He also cited the petition for habeas corpus used by Gigi Reyes, the former chief of staff of then senator and now President Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, who has been accused of benefiting from the pork barrel scam.
The Supreme Court allowed Reyes to walk out of jail on the ground that her constitutional right to speedy trial was violated.
It noted that while Reyes’ detention is lawful, it had become an undue restraint on her liberty because of extended proceedings.
De Lima’s lawyer, Boni Tacardon, earlier said the defense team is looking into the possibility of filing a similar petition before the Supreme Court.
“To be honest, we are currently studying the resolution of the Supreme Court in the case of Gigi Reyes at tinitingnan namin ‘yung similarity niya sa case ni [and we’re looking at its similarity with the case of] Sen. Leila de Lima,” Tacardon said in a phone interview with CNN Philippines.
READ: De Lima camp studying Gigi Reyes’ release, sees bail grant by March
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the world’s oldest and largest group of national parliaments, recently called for the immediate release of De Lima.
The IPU committee said it was “ever more convinced” that the cases of former Senator Leila de Lima were related to her vocal opposition to the deadly war on drugs.
READ: Inter-Parliamentary Union ‘ever more convinced’ De Lima’s detention politically motivated
