De Lima may take legal action vs ‘persecutors’

MANILA, Philippines — Now that she is out on bail after being detained for nearly seven years due to what she described as fabricated drug charges to silence her, former senator Leila de Lima has hinted at taking legal action against those she perceived as her persecutors, saying discussions with her team on the matter are ongoing.

At a press briefing shortly after her release from Camp Crame on Monday, De Lima said it was difficult to be unjustly detained, and stressed the importance of holding accountable those responsible for her imprisonment.

“My lawyers and I are talking about it. We can’t announce anything specific yet. I need to do something, too. It’s not easy, it’s very hard to put someone in jail without any guilt,” De Lima said in Filipino and English.

To former president Rodrigo Duterte, she had this message: “God forgive him and God bless him,” noting the former president “knows what he did to me.”

As of yesterday, Duterte remained mum on De Lima’s release from detention.

He is reportedly expected to make a statement on the
 matter today through his Gikan sa Masa TV program aired over SMNI News Channel.

De Lima was justice secretary during the administration of the late president Benigno Simeon Aquino III, predecessor of the Duterte government.

She was elected senator in 2016, the same year Duterte assumed as president.

Duterte linked De Lima to illegal drug trade activities supposedly occurring inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary, which resulted in her incarceration in Ferbruary 2017.

De Lima had expressed hope of attaining justice under the present Marcos government, believing it was unlikely to happen under the Duterte administration.

With the change in the administration, De Lima anticipated justice and for truth to be told that she is innocent.

‘Justice system is working’

De Lima thanked the Marcos administration for respecting the independence of the judiciary and upholding the rule of law.

She said the legitimacy of the judiciary lies in its independence, noting the recent developments show a functioning system.

De Lima expressed confidence in the merits of her case, saying she and her legal team have been optimistic about the success of their bail petition.

She was allowed to post P300,000 bail on Monday after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 granted her petition.

Despite the challenges including a previous denial by a judge handling her case, her belief in the justice system remained.

She acknowledged the lengthy process, attributing it to the thorough review undertaken by the new judge.

She stressed the importance of legal vindication as her case is still pending, noting the provisional liberty through bail is a significant development.

“It is a legal vindication so we are always confident. The case is still pending. This is bail. This is provisional liberty and this is definitely a great gift from the almighty God,” she said.

Asked about the implication of her release on the opposition party, De Lima committed to continue advocating for truth, justice, rule of law, democracy and sovereignty.

She vowed to continue her fight and work harder for her advocacies as well as remain aligned with the opposition.

De Lima thanked the international community for monitoring her case and expressed intention to seek complete vindication.

She said she is determined to rebuild her life, redeem her name and reveal the truth about the forces behind her legal battles.

No Marcos hand

Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos said her brother, President Marcos, has nothing to do with any case. “Anyone cannot interfere in the judiciary, let’s protect its independence,” Marcos said, noting the order to release De Lima on bail is a testament to that.

“Our court is a court of law and justice, oblivious of personalities or any political noise. Senator De Lima’s bail grant yesterday was a testament to that,” she said.

“It bolsters my position since the start that the ICC has no jurisdiction over any Filipino, especially on former president Rodrigo Duterte. It has no business meddling with our justice system,” Marcos said, referring to the International Criminal Court.

Accountable

De Lima’s opposition ally, former senator Franklin Drilon, urged her to demand accountability for the six years that she suffered in prison based on false testimonies of witnesses.

Drilon was justice secretary during the administration of the late president Corazon Aquino. He said those who coerced witnesses into giving false testimony against De Lima should be held accountable.

He said former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre could be held accountable for the crime of subornation of perjury.

Aguirre was accused by former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos of coercing him into signing pre-written affidavits against De Lima, along with those responsible for the fabricated charges against her.

“We are happy that the rule of law has prevailed, but who will answer for the sufferings of Leila de Lima for the last seven years because of invented and unwarranted charges?” Drilon asked.

He said Ragos claimed that Aguirre coerced him into signing prepared affidavits accusing De Lima of receiving bribes from drug lords at the national penitentiary.

“This is a mistake punishable under the Revised Penal Code, specifically subordination for perjury, when you force a witness to lie in order to indict someone,” Drilon said.

Although he welcomed the recent development as a positive step toward attaining justice for De Lima, Drilon said it should not be the end of the matter.

He called for a thorough examination of the procedures that resulted in the prosecution of De Lima.

Drilon also urged the Supreme Court to investigate the seven-year delay in the De Lima case, saying rules should be amended to prevent such delays from happening again.

“This is a positive sign but we must continue to improve our justice system. The De Lima case should prompt the Supreme Court to take a look at how this case was delayed as thousands of Filipinos have to deal with the sluggish pace of our justice system,” he said.

Weak case

Former presidential Harry Roque said the decision of the Muntinlupa RTC allowing De Lima to post bail for her third and last drug case may indicate a weak case against the former senator that can lead to her acquittal.

“The court said in granting her bail that the evidence against her is not strong,” Roque, who served as spokesman for Duterte, told journalists based at Malacañang over the phone. “It seems that’s where it’s headed because if the evidence was strong, the bail should have been denied,” he added.

Roque expressed belief that the ruling was not influenced by Marcos.

“I think PBBM (Marcos) did not interfere… although we do not agree with the decision, our court has independence from politicians,” he said.

Roque maintained that Duterte has nothing to do with the drug charges against De Lima. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, Helen Flores, Edith Regalado