EDITORIAL — Was the justice system weaponized?

After more than six years behind bars, former senator Leila de Lima has finally been acquitted of the third and last drug charge against her.

And by what she is saying it seems she isn’t forgiving her prosecutors --or maybe we should say persecutors-- anytime soon.

“I achieved justice and vindication, but I just want to say that this is not enough for me. I cannot feel fully vindicated until those responsible for these charges have been held accountable. I want to know who are my persecutors. We know that president (Duterte) ordered this because of his anger towards me. It’s all for revenge. But I want to know who worked for him to vilify and arrest me,” she said.

She has been saying this for a long time, of course, blaming the former president for her woes. And while the entire nation knows of the bad blood between her and the former president because of the alleged extra-judicial killings she laid at his feet when he was still Davao City mayor, everything needs to be proven in court.

And if anyone was indeed just looking to demolish her reputation, knowing fully well that she wasn’t involved in drugs at all, then that person or persons has to be found.

Indeed, being imprisoned for six years is no joke. Those were six years that could have been productive for her or anyone else for that matter.

Her acquittal raises questions, the biggest of which would be: Was the justice system weaponized for the purpose of putting her down? Who was or were responsible for this?

Considering the developments we saw of the cases against De Lima, how her accusers eventually backed down one by one with claims of threats or coercion to implicate her, how the evidence against her gradually weakened, we might know the answer to the first question. As to the second, we still don’t know.

We hope she finds the answers she is looking for. No one should be allowed to use the justice system to wrongfully go after their enemies.