MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Leila de Lima yesterday accused the Duterte administration of increasing pressure and intimidation on her known associates as well as on other convicts at the New Bilibid Prison to boost their allegations that she was a protector of illegal drug operations at the NBP when she was justice secretary.
De Lima said she was alarmed over a report in The STAR that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reversed its previous dismissal of drug charges against Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, a former official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
De Lima read to reporters two text messages purportedly from Marcelino forwarded by a common friend that she said had made sense after she read the news item.
In a supposed text message sent last July 19, Marcelino was thanking a “mistah” or classmate in the Philippine Military Academy Class 1994 for defending him from “fabricated stories” and gave assurance that he will not allow himself to be used in the demolition job against De Lima.
Marcelino said he never had any doubt about De Lima’s integrity and expressed plans to personally visit her in her office “when everything’s settled down.”
Another text message sent on Sept. 5 was ominous as Marcelino said “pressure is mounting” to reopen his case and plans to be incognito. “Rest assured, I’ll never give in to them,” he said.
Marcelino asked their common friend to tell De Lima to “keep the faith and be strong.”
However, Marcelino last night denied De Lima’s claims that he is being pressured to testify against her.
Marcelino told an impromptu news conference with Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta that he will issue a written statement over the reversal of the DOJ resolution dismissing his drug case.
“The struggle is sweeter if you’re on the side of truth,” he said.
“That’s clear, no one pressured him to testify against anyone. That’s because he is ready to tell the truth and only the truth, whatever he knows, anywhere,” Acosta added, to emphasize Marcelino’s statements.
Acosta said they will fight the drug case in court as she expressed dismay over how intelligence officers like Marcelino are being subjected to questionable charges when he is just performing his duty.
Marcelino, who was arrested along with his Chinese companion Yan Yi Shou, had maintained they were framed as they were working undercover when PDEA agents found them in a condominium in Manila with 60 kilos of shabu last Jan. 21.
De Lima added her reliable sources revealed that shortly after the May elections, people were going around the NBP asking convicts to sign affidavits to implicate her.
She said some of those who testified were subjected to psychological torture, blackmailed or given money to testify against her.