RSS Feed
Contact Us
|
De Lima moves for bail in second drug case
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Leila de Lima filed a motion for bail before the Muntinlupa court handling the drug case against her, the second time she is moving for provisional liberty by saying evidence against her is weak.
De Lima, through her lawyer, filed a Motion for Bail before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 where a drug case she is facing with co-accused Ronnie Dayan remains pending.
This is the second case she is facing at the same court. Like her previously filed motion at a different case, she also asserted that evidence against her is weak and, “on the contrary, the record is replete with evidence presented by the Prosecution itself that support the innocence of herein Accused De Lima.”
De Lima argued that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses are hearsay and have no evidentiary value.
Initially, De Lima is facing a drug trading case with her former aide Ronnie Dayan and Rafael Ragos, former officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Corrections. But the Information was later amended to attempt or conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading, while Ragos was dropped as accused.
Meanwhile, Ragos became a prosecution witness, but De Lima argued that he lacks credibility and his testimony “suffers from clear and irreconcilable inconsistencies with several other pleadings that he has made throughout the various stages of the case.”
“It is important to note that in the original affidavit of Ragos, the latter never mentioned the delivery of money to Accused De Lima. To recall, this allegation only cropped up after Ragos was detained and prior to amendment of the Original Information, which resulted in his removal as accused in the case,” the motion read.
Meanwhile, De Lima said that the testimony of former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and now Baguio City Major Benjamin Magalong only detailed the planning stages of “Oplan Galugad.” This was the raid in the Bilibid, which De Lima said, Magalong deemed as successful.
“General Magalong actually absolved Accused De Lima from any links to the illegal drug trade. He and his team in the PNP CIDG have investigated the drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prison and he stated on record that there was never an integrity issue against then Secretary of Justice Leila De Lima,” the motion read.
“Ultimately, there is but one question facing the Honorable Court: is the evidence of guilt against Accused De Lima strong? It is as simple as the answer to it is clear: it is not,” the motion read.
“Certainly, the granting of bail to Accused De Lima will result in upholding her constitutional presumption of innocence, recognizing her right to due process,” it added.
Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday marked the first year of her detention at the Philippine National Police detention center in Quezon City.
Ahead of the anniversary of her arrest, the Senate minority and various rights groups called on the Philippine government to release her immediately.
The Department of Justice initially charged De Lima for drug trading, but over the months, the state prosecutors filed motions to amend the charges and indict the senator on conspiracy to commit drug trading instead.
De Lima is known as one of the most outspoken critics of President Rodrigio Duterte's administration.
Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima says she's elated after being acquitted in one of the drug charges she is facing.
"To be acquitted even in just one case, in the time of Duterte, is a victory," the opposition says in a statement Wednesday.
"Na-deny man ang ating Demurrer to Evidence at Motion for Bail sa Criminal Case No. 17-165, naniniwala ako at ang aking mga abogado na mahina ang ebidensya ng gobyerno dito para patunayan ang mga gawa-gawa nilang paratang," she adds.
Sen. Leila de Lima files a motion for bail for the drug case against her and Ronnie Dayan before a Muntinlupa court. The detained senator argues that evidence presented by the prosecution was not strong.
"Without prejudice to her prior arguments questioning the validity of the Amended Information, Accused De Lima respectfully submits that she is entitled to bail as a matter of right, and thus moves for bail ad cautelam," the motion read.
Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima questions the sudden death of Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian from the coronavirus disease.
"Sebastian’s death means one less perjured witness against me, but it also means one less witness against Duterte, Vitaliano Aguirre, Jose Calida, Persida Acosta, Sandra Cam, Ferdinand Topacio, certain retired police generals, and all those who conspired to line-up all these Bilibid inmates to manufacture stories of drug-dealing to implicate me and send me to prison," the senator says.
Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima files a measure seeking to provide free immunizations for senior citizens who are all susceptible to viruses.
“No less than the Constitution guarantees that the needs of the elderly in relation to their right to health shall be given priority by the State. Clearly, senior citizens belong to a special class of individuals for which the Constitution affords preferential concern,” De Lima says.
“Their growing number coupled with their susceptibilities has now made it vital for the State to make the promotion and protection of their health and well-being among its priority social legislations,” she adds.
Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima slams the move to change the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Pilipinas.
"Ano na namang kabalbalan ito?" the senator asks.
"The lawmakers pushing for it has a distorted sense of nationalism, if at all. Such a proposal is devoid of any salutary objective. It’s plain and simple politics. And stupidity," De Lima adds.
- Latest
- Trending
