The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now preparing for the release of former senator Leila de Lima after a Muntinlupa court handling the remaining drug case filed against her allowed her to post bail.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that once a release order was issued by the court, they will wait for the formal copy of the court document to start the processing for the release of the former senator.
“As a matter of procedure, she will undergo a physical and medical examination to check if she is okay,” said Fajardo.
It is after the physical and medical check that de Lima would be turned over either to her family or her lawyers.
“Medical examination is just a protocol so that at least before she is received by her family or lawyers, they would know that she is in good physical condition,” said Fajardo.
De Lima has been detained at the Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City for several drug charges that were filed in the past administration.
The charges were seen by her supporters as political persecution over de Lima’s role in building cases and filing of charges against known political personalities when she was still the Justice Secretary.
De Lima was already cleared from the two of the three charges filed against her after key witnesses started recanting their statements.
De Lima had been in detention for six years before the court allowed her to post bail.
Last year, she was held hostage by one of the inmates of the Custodial Center.