"Why is she celebrating?"
Malacañang is wondering why Senator Leila de Lima is claiming victory in her acquittal in one of the three drug charges against her when she is still behind bars.
AFP
A Philippine court acquitted Sen. Leila de Lima on Wednesday of one of three drug charges but ruled that the opposition politician – a top critic of President Rodrigo Duterte during her nearly four years in prison – must remain incarcerated.
The government has alleged that de Lima, who was sent to prison in February 2017, received protection money from jailed drug dealers while she served as justice minister before being elected to the senate.
“I welcome the court’s clearing me of Criminal Case No. 17-166,” the senator said in a statement from prison as she celebrated the decision by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court, Branch 205.
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How the Supreme Court decided on key public interest issues
By BULATLAT STAFF
An independent judiciary is integral in a democratic society. After the ouster of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution included provisions guarding freedoms fought for by those who resisted the former dictator.
While safeguards against another tyrannical rule have been inserted in the highest law of the land, administrations after Marcos attempted to cling on to power. Even as the Constitution explicitly states the civilian authority is supreme over the military, succeeding administrations still resorted to militarist approach in dealing with social injustices. Some of the Martial Law era doctrines have remained, and are being used against critics and ordinary folk.
In trial s pivotal turn, De Lima says DOJ obscured truth about drug trade
Jan 9, 2021 9:16 PM PHT
The Department of Justice (DOJ) obscured and obstructed the truth about the Bilibid drug trade, Senator Leila de Lima said in a lengthy pleading filed before a Muntinlupa court as she reaches a pivotal turn in her trial, putting her a step closer towards possible exoneration.
De Lima, who will mark her fourth year in detention over drug charges next month, said the prosecution team turned a blind eye on real evidence against former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, so it can focus on her and jail her.
Press Release
De Lima files third bail motion, cites Prosecution s weak evidence vs her
Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has moved for bail in the third of the three trumped-up drug charges against her, reiterating her innocence and citing weak evidence presented by the Prosecution.
In a Motion for Bail Ad Cautelam filed by her lawyers before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 256, De Lima also said that the trial is ongoing for almost four years already but the prosecution has just managed to present a total of five witnesses.
These include Ret. Gen. Benjamin Magalong, former Bilibid inmate Gerry Valeroso, Bilibid inmates Nonito Arile and Engelberto Durano, and Bilibid fixer and pimp Reynante Diaz.