Hontiveros denounces De Lima’s junked bail plea: ‘Stop travesty of justice now!’  

 
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, June 8 expressed her frustration over the denial of former Senator Leila de Lima’s petition for bail.
 
“I am deeply frustrated over the prolonged detention of former Sen. Leila De Lima. She deserves a speedy trial as enshrined in our Constitution,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
 
“I cannot help think about all the speedy trials of other prominent individuals recently, while Leila, who brought to light the abuses of the bloody drug war under the Duterte administration, is still languishing in jail for six years and counting,” the senator said.
 
“I call for an immediate and decisive end to this cycle of oppression. Stop this travesty of justice now!” added the Senate deputy minority leader.
 
Hontiveros said it is also alarming that testimonies “from self-serving sources are still being entertained” in deliberating the alleged drug trafficking cases against the former lawmaker.
 
She pointed out many of these false witnesses have already recanted their accusations against de Lima.
 
“So why is her case still caught in the incredible lies and deception woven by these drug lords?” Hontiveros asked.
 
“Again, for the sixth year in a row, this ruthless tide of injustice against Leila must stop, and the trumped-up charges immediately dropped,” she reiterated.
 
At the same time, the senator urged the Filipino people, particularly fellow human rights advocates, to pursue justice especially for those who truly deserve it.
 
“Let us ensure that justice is not just reserved for the powerful and privileged, and that in this country, justice is not just a fairy tale,” she stressed.