MANILA – Sen. Leila de Lima considered her acquittal, in one of her three illegal drug trade cases in President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, a victory.
“To be acquitted even in just one case, in the time of Duterte, is a victory,” de Lima said on Wednesday.
The senator lauded the decision rendered by Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 205, which dismissed one of her case due to lack of merit.
“Ito lang din ang katangi-tanging mga kaso tungkol sa droga na kahit isang butil o gramo ng droga, ay walang naipresenta. Ibig sabihin, puro laway lang ang basehan. Wala ring napatunayang pera, ni isang kusing, na napunta sa akin mula sa bentahan ng ilegal na droga. Puro tsismis. Puro haka-haka lang,” she added.
The dismissed case against de Lima was Criminal Case Number 17-166 which involved Jose Adrian Dera. Judge Liezel Aquiatan denied Dera’s demurrer to evidence but allowed him to post a bail worth P500,000.
However, de Lima’s plea to junk Criminal Case Number 17-165 involving her former aide, Ronnie Dayan, was denied along with her petition to bail.
“Pag-aaralan ko at ng aking mga abogado ang naging desisyon ng Korte sa Criminal Case Number 17-165 at maghahain tayo ng motion for reconsideration,” de Lima said.
The Palace, meanwhile, respected the court’s ruling but refused to answer the senator’s tirade.
“Wala po tayong reaksyon diyan kasi nakakulong pa rin siya. Bakit siya magse-celebrate eh nasa selda pa rin siya?,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.
De Lima, one of Duterte’s critics, has been detained for almost four years due to allegations that she conspired with correction officials and inmates to conduct illegal drug trade during her term as secretary of the Department of Justice./PN
