Senator Leila de Lima has called on other individuals behind the drug allegations thrown at her in the past to come forward and "expose what they know" after self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa took back his drug allegations against her.
De Lima took to Twitter her thoughts on the recent development on the drug cases filed against her, saying she has long forgiven the people who were behind her detention and encouraged them to tell the truth this time.
The senator marked her fifth year in detention last Feb. 24.
"Matagal ko nang pinatawad, at ipinasa-Diyos, yung mga ginamit o nagpagamit sa mga kasinungalingan laban sa akin—yung nga tinakot, binayaran, blinackmail o pinangakuan ng pera o kung anumang pribilehiyo (I have forgiven, and surrendered to God, those people who were used or allowed to be used and all the lies against me—those who were threatened, paid, blackmailed or were promised money or whatever privilege)," De Lima sai on Friday, April 29.
After Espinosa recanted his statements through a counter affidavit saying all his claims against the senator are not true, De Lima called on the others to follow suit.
"Hinihikayat ko ang mga naging bahagi ng pang-aaping nagaganap sa akin na sumunod at magsiwalat ng kanilang nalalaman. Lumalabas na ang katotohanan. Malapit na ang hustisya (I am encouraging those who were part of the abuses against me to follow suit and reveal what they know. The truth is now coming out. Justice is near)," De Lima said.
The detained senator also expressed her desire to hold the people behind her detention responsible, saying "Ang pinakasigaw ko: Hustisya!"
Matagal ko nang pinatawad, at ipinasa-Diyos, yung mga ginamit o nagpagamit sa mga kasinungalingan laban sa akin—yung nga tinakot, binayaran, blinackmail o pinangakuan ng pera o kung anumang pribilehiyo. 1/2
— Leila de Lima (@SenLeiladeLima) April 29, 2022
De Lima also slammed President Duterte and "his minions" for abusing the power of the government to send her to prison, saying he left the smugglers and drug lords "untouched."
"Duterte and his minions used the whole might and abused the power of the government just to destroy and send me to prison. As their power comes to an end, so will their lies, and the truth shall finally set me free," she said.
The senator, who was a former Justice Secretary, criticized the drug war enforced by Duterte as he assumed office in 2016.
"Whether it was ignorance about the complex nature of the drug problem or simply hubris, what is clear is that for all his posturing of being a veteran in the fight against illegal drugs, Duterte’s drug war was bound to fail from the very start," De Lima said.
"His drug war was all about killing people, most of them from the poor and marginalized sectors, instead of going after the big drug lords and stopping the smuggling of drugs into the country. In reality, Duterte’s problem is not that he was not able to end the drug trade in 3-6 months. His problem is that a new government bent on reforms might actually take the drug problem seriously, and eventually uncover Duterte’s connection to the real beneficiaries of the fake drug war, the smugglers and the drug lords he left untouched," De Lima added.
'Free Leila now!'
Some of De Lima's fellow senatorial candidates, running under the ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, stood by De Lima and called for her immediate release.
Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel 'Chel' Diokno joined the call to free De Lima, saying Espinosa's recent confession is proof that cases against the senator are just made up.
"Patunay lang ito na walang laman at gawa-gawa lang ang kaso laban kay Sen. Leila. Malinaw rin na ang mga kasong isinampa ay kapritso lang at paghihiganti (This is a proof that there is no context, the cases are made up against Sen, Leila. It is also clear that the cases filed are just part of vendetta). Free Leila now!" Diokno said.
Senatorial candidate Teddy Baguilat also believes that with the development, the cases against De Lima should now be dismissed as he hopes that De Lima can join them at the meeting de avance of Team Robredo-Pangilinan and their senatorial slate.
"Nag-recant na si Kerwin Espinosa (has recanted). Judge should now dismiss the case against Sen. Leila de Lima. Sobrang dramatic sana (It must be very dramatic) if Leila can show up during our meeting de avance and shout Hustisya (Justice)!!!" Baguilat said.
Pangilinan had earlier called for the immediate release of the detained senator.
“Sinabi mismo ng aminadong drug lord na walang katotohanan ang mga paratang laban kay Senator Leila. Patunay na gawa-gawa ang mga ito (It already came from the self-confessed drug lord, himself, that there is no truth in all the allegations against Senator Leila. A proof that these are all made up),” the lawmaker said.