Former Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III has appealed to the Senate leadership to find the courage and independence to allow Senator Leila de Lima to participate in the Senate’s online sessions and hearings from her place of detention at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

As a co-equal branch with the Executive, Tañada said the Senate is well within its rights to press the courts to allow De Lima to attend the Senate’s activities via online.

“Ako ay nalulungkot, unang-una, hindi pa dinedesisyunan ng Korte na guilty si Senator Leila (I’m sad, because in the first place the courts have not rendered a guilty verdict on Sen. Leila),” Tañada said, during the pilot episode of “Acronyms: Work from Prison” last April 20.

“So because of that, may presumption of innocence. And since they are allowing Senators to work from home, they should allow Senator Leila to also participate in the deliberations in Congress dahil may internet na naman eh, (because there’s already internet),” he said.

“Yung prohibition in not allowing Senators to attend at that time when that law was made eh dahil wala pang internet (it’s because there was no internet yet). So ngayon may (so now that there’s) internet and she is still presumed innocent, she should be allowed to participate from where she is detained,” he reiterated.

The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 had earlier rejected De Lima’s omnibus motion which she filed on June 2020. The motion seeks to allow her to participate in Senate sessions via teleconferencing.

In said motion, De Lima argued there is no longer any valid reason to discriminate against her because “participation in Senate sessions and Committee hearings and meetings by all members of the Senate is made possible and, more importantly, necessary to be done via teleconferencing” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 658 seeking to allow De Lima to participate in Senate hearings and plenary sessions through teleconferencing.

According to the senators, De Lima should be allowed to participate in the Senate’s plenary sessions and committee hearings since they are now conducting legislative proceedings through remote and electronic means due to the COVID-19 pandemic.