Political repression.
That's how Magdalo Party-list Rep. Manuel Cabochan III described the treatment of the incarcerated Senator Leila de Lima as he joined the call to free her from detention.
This, after self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa recanted the testimonies he made against opposition stalwart De Lima in 2016, falsely linking her to illegal drugs.
Read more here: https://mb.com.ph/2022/04/28/kerwin-espinosa-recants-testimonies-vs-detained-sen-de-lima-on-drugs-charges/
“Kerwin Espinosa’s affidavit saying that he was coerced to fabricate his previous testimonies solidifies that Sen. De Lima has been a victim of political repression all along. The Duterte administration fabricated lies to detain and silence Sen. De Lima,” Cabochan said in a statement Friday morning, April 29.
“Napakabigat na pagyurak sa sistema ng hustisya natin (This is a grave violation of our justice system),” he said.
De Lima, a human rights advocate and vocal critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained since 2017; five years that Cabochan says were stolen from her by the administration.
Read more here: https://mb.com.ph/2022/02/24/de-lima-on-unjust-detention-for-5-years-no-regrets/
“Limang taon ang ninakaw ng administrasyong Duterte kay Sen. De Lima, kasama na ang kanyang dangal at reputasyon bilang mahusay na lingkod-bayan. Ibalik ang hustisya. Palayain na si Sen. De Lima (The Duterte administration stole five years from De Lima, alongside her honor and reputation as a public servant. Reinstate justice. Free De Lima),” he concluded.
Despite being detained, De Lima is currently vying for reelection as senator in the 2022 polls.