No special treatment for de Lima – Sueno

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA, Iloilo City and PRINCE GOLEZ, Manila
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Saturday, February 25, 2017
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SEN. LEILA de Lima surrendered yesterday to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives out to arrest her on illegal drug charges at the Senate in Pasay City.

Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Ismael Sueno assured that the critic of President Rodrigo Duterte will not be given special treatment while at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center.

But “we will respect her position as senator, in the same manner that we respected the positions of (former senators Juan Ponce) Enrile, (Jinggoy) Estrada and (Ramon “Bong”) Revilla (Jr.),” who had been arrested for plunder, Sueno told the press here.

The CIDG was supposed to serve the arrest warrant on de Lima on Thursday evening, but she begged the arresting team to allow her to spend the night at her Senate office.

A few minutes before surrendering, the former Justice secretary insisted her innocence.

Palagi kong sinasabi na inosente po ako. Wala pong katotohanan at pawang kasinungalingan ang paratang nila sa akin,” she told Senate reporters. “Sa bandang huli, lalabas ang katotohanan. Makakamit ko ang hustisya.”

From the Senate, de Lima was taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City for booking procedures.

The Custodial Center currently houses Estrada and Revilla, who were charged with plunder in connection with the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel. Their co-accused, Enrile, was out on bail.

On Thursday the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204 issued the arrest warrant against de Lima, her former driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, and former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Marcos Ragos.

De Lima is facing three counts of drug charges. She was accused of, among others, receiving drug money from high-profile New Bilibid Prison inmates for her senatorial bid in the 2016 election.

Her room at the Custodial Center will not be equipped with an air-conditioning unit, said Sueno. “Ngaa tagaan gid naton sia air-con? Indi man siling nga special treatment. I-respeto lang gid naton sia,” the Ilonggo official said.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding de Lima’s arrest, Sueno denied that PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa defied orders from higher officials at the Interior department.

“I was already on the plane going here when the office of [Senate President Aquilino] Koko Pimentel called me to ask who will serve the order and where she will be taken after the arrest,” said Sueno. “I called General Bato, and he said it’s the [CIDG] and it will be in Camp Crame Custodial Center.”

Sueno called Pimentel to tell him the CIDG operatives were on their way to the Senate, but the latter asked the Interior secretary to have the police take de Lima in the morning since it was already dark.

Siling ya, ‘Sec Mike … basi magka-problema kita kay it is already dark. So many things can happen in the dark, so kon pwede bwas na lang sa aga kay adlaw,’” Sueno said. “Siling ko, OK, I will relay this to General Bato kay he is in charge.”

While he made Dela Rosa decide, Sueno advised that they arrest de Lima “not later than” 10 a.m. “Siling ko, ‘I’ll leave it to your discretion, pero she should be arrested by all means not later than 10 in the morning.’”

May mga reports bi nga may mga tawo nga masulod nga ma-protect sa iya (de Lima),” said the Interior secretary. “Indi man kita gusto sang gamo. Si General Bato, indi man gusto gamo.”

Sueno was in this city for the last leg of consultations on the Interior department’s drug-free sticker campaign. He met with Regional Peace and Order Council officials in regions 6, 7, 8, and 18.

In a press statement, de Lima said her detention will not stop her from seeking truth and justice. “I have long prepared myself to be a political prisoner of this regime,” she said. “Rest assured that I will answer all the accusations against me in the proper time and venue.”

“Stop the killings now! Stop harassing me, stop this madness! Instead, the Filipino people are begging for your undivided attention to address the myriad problems our country face,” de Lima asked Duterte.

She also urged journalists to “guard our fragile democracy against attempts to curtail our rights and freedom, and against the return of dictatorship,” and the public to “pray for the Philippines” and “not allow this administration to continue violating our Constitution, disrespecting our laws, and taking the lives of our countrymen.”/PN

 

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