Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 27) — Former senator Leila de Lima on Monday attended the resumption of hearings in the drug cases filed against her by the Duterte administration.
“My foremost wish is only ‘Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!’ Sana mangyari ‘yan sa lalong madaling panahon [I hope that happens soon],” De Lima said during the hearing at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court, as she marked six years in detention.
READ: ‘I stood my ground’: Leila de Lima marks her 6th year in prison
De Lima was arrested on Feb. 24, 2017 for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in Bilibid when she was the Justice secretary, and using the drug money for her senatorial campaign in 2016.
She strongly denied the accusations and claimed that the drug charges against her were fabricated to stop her from looking into the drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.The detained former senator has applied for bail in both Branch 256 and 204, where her two remaining drug cases are pending.
The prosecution will present its last witness in Branch 256, which will then decide whether to grant her request for temporary release.
“So kahit siguro nakakulong siya ng six years, mabigyan ng atensyon ang kanyang application for bail. Hopefully, makita ng hukuman dapat bigyan ng pansamantalang paglaya si (former) Sen. De Lima,” her lawyer Boni Tacardon said.
[Translation: So, even if she has been imprisoned for six years, her application for bail will be given attention. Hopefully, the court will see that dSen. De Lima should be granted temporary freedom.]
But it’s another story for Branch 204, where De Lima is currently awaiting the court’s judgment on whether to grant her bail request or dismiss her case completely due to Rafael Ragos’ recantation.Ragos, an officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Corrections in 2012, admitted in November 2022 that his testimony against De Lima was coerced upon the instructions of then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
Continued support
Several of her supporters, including some former Aquino Cabinet members, appeared in front of the Muntinlupa court. Her party-mate former senator Kiko Pangilinan joined the group.Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros also called on the Senate to recommend that the drug charges against De Lima be dropped.“If the Senate as a body can recommend the filing of charges against individuals and personalities that violate the laws of this land, surely it can recommend the dropping of charges against those who are victimized by these laws and those who need the law and the Constitution’s protective mantle,” she said.“A few days after we commemorated the 6th anniversary of her detention, I say Mr. President, dear colleagues, and I hope you say with me — Free Leila now,” Hontiveros added.In her privilege speech, the opposition lawmaker emphasized that four major witnesses who previously testified against De Lima, namely self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, his alleged bodyguard Marcelo Adorco, Rafael Ragos, and De Lima’s former bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, had recanted their claims.
