Witness denies Leila de Lima drug rap

MANILA, Philippines — A prosecution witness in the drug trial of Sen. Leila de Lima yesterday said the money he solicited was used to free an inmate of the New Bilibid Prison, not for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.

Government prosecutors claimed De Lima used Jose Adrian Dera, reportedly a nephew of the senator and one of her former aides, “to solicit money from drug lords for her campaign,” the senator’s lawyer Bonifacio Tacardon said after the pre-trial hearing for De Lima on the charge of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 205.

 The prosecution also argued that Dera received P3 million and asked for four vehicles, but Dera said in his statement filed with the Department of Justice that he neither knows the former DOJ chief nor did he have any money for her.

 Dera said he extorted money to free a certain Sally, said to be a niece of drug lord Peter Co who was previously arrested for drug trading.

 Tacardon also noted the prosecution’s failure to produce the cars that De Lima allegedly asked through Dera. He said they instead presented statements from drug lords Co, Hans Tan and Jaybee Sebastian and police official Benjamin Magalong.

 De Lima is currently facing drug cases before three courts in Muntinlupa City.