MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday called the Department of Justice's opposition to her bid to record campaign materials while detained "the height of prosecutorial persecution."
The DOJ asked the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256 to dismiss the senator's motion to be allowed to shoot photos and videos for her 2022 campaign, according to documents released by De Lima's office on Friday.
Related Stories
In their eight-page comment, prosecutors pointed out that the senator is facing a drug case. “For this reason alone, accused De Lima cannot and must not be treated differently from any other accused. She may occupy an exalted position in society, but this does not entitle her to special treatment,” they told the court.
De Lima, who is detained on drug charges that she says are trumped-up, stressed that the law allows her to run for re-election and that there is no law that prohibits her campaign.
"I am already at a disadvantage as it is, campaigning from jail due to the fake charges and evidence fabricated by the DOJ, only to be further prevented from recording materials for my legitimate bid for re-election," the senator said in a dispatch from police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“I am not asking for freedom to campaign outside of prison," she stressed.
"That the DOJ would oppose a simple request for the taking of campaign video and audio inside prison is plain proof of an unfair election practice being perpetrated by the government, especially now that [President Rodrigo] Duterte is also vying for a senatorial post."
De Lima further argued that although she is detained, she has not been convicted of any of the drug cases filed against her.
"In fact, I was already acquitted in one case, while the two other cases have now been delayed for trial for two years since the start of the pandemic," she added.
"Meanwhile, my application for bail is in limbo precisely because the trial of my cases has been suspended indefinitely."
DOJ prosecutors, on the other hand, countered that De Lima is facing a non-bailable offense and there is a restraint on her liberty, stressing that she is not in a similar situation as other candidates.
“Accused De Lima is charged and imprisoned for a capital offense," they said. "Life is hard and definitely not fair."
In her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo earlier today, Filipino journalist Maria Ressa cited De Lima as one of the defenders of human rights and press freedom in the Philippines.
"Sen. Leila de Lima, because she demanded accountability, is serving her fifth year in jail," Ressa, co-founder and CEO of news site Rappler, said. — Bella Perez-Rubio with reports from Kristine Joy Patag