Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) — A Muntinlupa court has granted separate motions filed by prosecutors and by former Senator Leila de Lima to transfer to the national penitentiray 11 inmate-witnesses in her remaining drug case over concerns for their safety.
In an order dated Dec. 13 but made public only on Wednesday, Judge Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 approved De Lima’s motion to transfer custody of seven persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), and the prosecution’s request to transfer another four inmates.
The PDLs were ordered moved from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Minimum Security Compound in Muntinlupa City.
Those named in De Lima’s appeal were German Agojo, Tomas Doniña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan, Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, and Hans Anton Tan, who claimed they were coerced to testify against the former senator.
READ: De Lima wants court to verify 7 inmates’ claim they were coerced to testify against her
In her motion before the court, De Lima said the inmates said their lives and those of their family members are at risk, as they themselves appealed to be transferred outside of Sablayan.
Also citing safety and security concerns, the prosecution meanwhile requested for the transfer of PDLs Herbert Colangco, Noel Martinez, Nonilo Arile, and Joel Capones.
The Muntinlupa court ordered NBP personnel to make sure the 11 inmates are safe.
De Lima had been detained for over six years starting 2017 for allegedly benefitting from the illegal drug trade inside the NBP when she was head of the Department of Justice. She has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that the Duterte administration is allegedly silencing her for her criticisms of its bloody drug war.
In November, the Muntinlupa court allowed De Lima to post bail for her third and remaining drug case, giving her provisional liberty.
