More members of the opposition welcomed the granting of former senator Leila de Lima’s bail plea, with former senator Bam Aquino and esteemed law professor Chel Diokno hoping that this would be a significant step toward her full redemption and the dismissal of all the cases against her.
Former senator Leila de Lima holds a wooden crucifix as she arrives at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. (Arnold Quizol/MANILA BULLETIN)
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former senator Kiko Pangilinan also pointed at the Duterte administration for being behind De Lima’s pre-trial incarceration for almost seven years.
He shared a copy of the court order from the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 directing the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Custodial Center to release the detained ex-senator.
“Makakalaya na siya! Matagal na natin itong ipinaglalaban. Hustisya (She’s being set free! We’ve long fought for this)!!!!!,” he wrote on Monday, Nov. 13.
Pangilinan ran as vice president in 2022 along with former vice president Leni Robredo. Their senatorial slate included De Lima, though all three failed to win in their respective posts.
In a separate tweet, the former senator and chairperson of the Liberal Party, said that the granting of the petition for bail was “long overdue and affirms what we have been saying right from the very beginning that the charges are without any basis whatsoever and are fabrications.”
“Mula pa nung umpisa nakita na natin na gawa gawa lamang at pawang kasinungalingan ang mga paratang laban kay Sen Leila upang patahimikin siya ng nakaraang administrasyon (Since the start, we saw that the accusations against Sen Leila are merely fabrications and lies so the previous administration can silence her),” he added.
Diokno said that the granting of the bail plea was “a huge victory for justice,” but stressed the need to make those behind De Lima’s persecution accountable.
“Umaasa akong ganap na mapapatunayang wala kayong sala, at pananagutin ang mga nasa likod ng inyong persecution (I am hopeful that your innocence will finally be proven, and those behind your persecution will be made to answer),” he wrote on X.
Diokno thanked De Lima’s legal team for its tireless efforts of proving her innocence.
Aquino, who is in the United States for a fellowship program, lamented that he couldn’t personally witness the former senator’s release from detention.
“I hope—kasi bail pa lang ito, I hope na tuloy-tuloy ‘yan at talagang mapawalang-sala na siya (this is just a bail, I hope that this will continue and she will be acquitted). Everyone here, let’s keep on praying for her. We wish her all of the best,” he said.
The former senator shared that both of them were in tears during their Facetime call.
De Lima was detained at the Camp Crame custodial facility for six years and eight months after multiple drug charges were filed against her. She claimed that these made-up drug charges were architected by Duterte, whom she was a vocal critic of during his bloody war on drugs campaign and various human rights violations.
She was also one of the former president’s most persistent critic during his time as mayor of Davao City as De Lima had served as chair of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and justice secretary during that time.
There was international pressure for the ex-senator’s release, and many believed she would soon be released after Duterte stepped down from power in 2022.
Of the three drug charges filed against the former lawmaker, two have already been dismissed through demurrer of evidence in February 2021 and the other through lack of merit of the prosecution’s case in May 2023.
She remains on trial, but is now allowed to post bail, on her third and final drug case.