De Lima to visit mother after over four years: ‘My mom never knew I was in jail’

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 14) — Former Senator Leila De Lima is looking forward to having “private, quality time” with her 91-year-old mother in Iriga, Camarines Sur, who is suffering from dementia.

De Lima, who was granted provisional liberty on Monday after posting bail, said her mother Norma was clueless about her Camp Crame detention for over six years.

“Ang susunod na plano is to go to Iriga (The next plan is to go to Iriga) to be with my mom, to spend a private, quality time with her,” she told CNN Philippines’ Balitaan on Tuesday.

De Lima last visited her ailing mother in 2019 when the Muntinlupa regional trial courts handling the drug cases against her granted a 48-hour furlough.

But when her mother was in critical care due to COVID-19 in 2022, the former senator was only allowed to reach out to her via video call.

De Lima said her mother is excited to see her again.

“Hinihintay na niya ako, sabi ng sister ko na nagaalaga sa kanya (My sister who is caring for her said that our mom has been waiting for me). Because my mom actually never knew that I was in jail. She thought I was just out of the country; I was in the US for study,” she said.

“Anyway, she’s excited daw to see me because she’s been asking about me for the past several months already,” De Lima said. “She’s bed-ridden, she’s actually semi-demented, but at least naalala pa niya ako (But at least she still remembers me).”

Answered prayer

Less than 24-hours since she was out of detention, De Lima visited the Minor Basilica of Manaoag in Pangasinan to “fulfill” her promise to the Our Lady of Manaoag.

“Every day this has been my prayer; everyday I’ve been hoping for this. So it happened, it finally happened,” she said.

De Lima said she used to attend mass twice a month up north before her detention.

“When I was jailed, I parted my prayer to her, ‘Tulungan niyo po ako makalaya at kapag makalaya na po ako, bibisitahin ko po kayo sa shrine niyo’ (Please help to get out of here and once I was released, I will visit your shrine),” she added. “That’s the first thing that I would do, I have to really fulfill my promise. Although I was being dissuaded by the people for security reasons, I had to beg.”

De Lima was acquitted in two of her drug cases filed against her by the Duterte administration for allegedly using drug money to finance her senatorial bid in 2016.

The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 also allowed four other co-accused, including De Lima’s former bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, to post ₱300,000 bail each.