By Jonathan Hicap
Detained Sen. Leila de Lima on Friday described as “pure hogwash” the sedition complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) against her and other personalities in connection with the “Bikoy” videos.
Senator Leila De Lima (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Pure hogwash, pure hogwash yung mga kaso na naman yan. Basura yun. Basura, mas basura pa iyan siguro kaysa sa mga isinampang kaso sa akin (The complaints are pure hogwash. They are worse than the cases filed against me),” she said in an interview upon arrival at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on July 19 to attend a hearing on a drug case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205.
The CIDG filed the complaint against her and several personalities before the DOJ for inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, and obstruction of justice.
Besides De Lima, also charged were Vice President Leni Robredo; Sen. Risa Hontiveros; former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Bam Aquino; and Otso Diretso senatorial candidates Chel Diokno, Florin Hilbay, Gary Alejano, Romulo Macalintal, Samira Gutoc and Erin Tañada.
Others included in the complaint were Fathers Flaviano Villanueva, Albert Alejo and Robert Reyes, and Bishops Honesto Ongtioco, Teodoro Bacani Jr, Pablo Virgilio David and Socrates Villegas; and former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro.
De Lima questioned how the CIDG filed the complaint without proper investigation, saying, “Hindi ko alam kung paano nag-imbestiga ang CIDG. They're supposed to have subpoena powers now, right?”
The senator is currently detained on three cases of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading that she allegedly committed during her time as Justice secretary. Two Muntinlupa regional trial courts are hearing the cases.