Palace on De Lima's acquittal in drug case: Why celebrate when she's still in jail?
MANILA, Philippines — There is no reason for opposition Sen. Leila de Lima to celebrate despite the junking of one of her three drug cases because she is still in jail, Malacañang said Thursday.
The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 has dismissed De Lima's case with co-accused Jose Dera, who allegedly asked money from convicted drug lords to finance her senatorial campaign in 2016. The court said no link between de Lima and Dera has been proven so it cannot be concluded that they agreed to engage in narcotics trade.
The court, however, did not junk De Lima's case with co-accused Ronnie Dayan, her former driver who was accused of collecting drug money for her senatorial bid.
"We have no reaction to that because she (De Lima) is still in jail," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.
"She is still in jail because she is still facing two cases. So why should she celebrate when she is still in her jail cell?" he added.
De Lima has denied involvement in illicit drugs trade and has claimed that the Duterte administration is persecuting her because of her critical stance on its anti-drug campaign. In a statement released last Wednesday, the senator described the dismissal of one of her cases as a "victory."
President Rodrigo Duterte, who has accused de Lima of allowing the drug trade to flourish in the national penitentiary when she was justice secretary, previously said the allegations against the senator are true.
"The greatest insult that I have received from these people is they refused to understand that the case against De Lima is true and accurate. They took the line of the left that she is a political prisoner," Duterte said in a speech delivered in Camp Aguinaldo in 2019.
"On my oath as president, I'm telling you, it is true. If she really did collect money, why? She was not into business but ambitions can blind you. That is why you need money to run for senator. You need millions to do that," he added.
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