De Lima eyes filing habeas corpus plea  

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of detained former senator Leila de Lima is studying the possible filing of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the courts.

The Supreme Court (SC) earlier granted the petition filed by lawyer Gigi Reyes, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile’s former chief of staff when he was senator.

Reyes and Enrile are on trial for plunder and graft in connection with the pork barrel scam. He is accused of pocketing P172 million in commissions for allowing P345 million of his Priority Development Assistant Fund to bea diverted to fake non-government organizations.

Enrile was released in 2015 after more than a year under hospital arrest when the Supreme Court allowed him to post bail.

The SC granted Reyes temporary liberty on Jan. 19, ruling that her right to a speedy trial was infringed. She had been in jail since 2014.

In an interview yesterday, De Lima’s lawyer Boni Tacardon said they are scrutinizing the SC’s ruling.

“We are intently studying the door opened by Ms. Gigi Reyes in her case and we are looking into its applicability in the case of Leila de Lima,” he said in Filipino.

“We are studying it, because there are a lot of factors in the decision of the SC that were the basis for the interim habeas corpus. We will study if the conditions and circumstances of De Lima would enter the same circumstances,” he added.

Focused on bail

Tacardon said their camp is focused on the petitions for bail.

“We are not closing the door on a habeas corpus petition, but to be candid, we are focused on our bail application for now,” he said.

Tacardon said their application for bail may be resolved in the next two months.

De Lima, who has been detained since 2017, is accused of conspiring to run an illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary to fund her senatorial campaign. Several witnesses against her have recently recanted.

De Lima was acquitted in one of three cases filed against her. She is still being tried in the two other cases before the Muntinlupa regional trial court.

Tacardon said their camp is focused on the petitions for bail.

“We are not closing the door on a habeas corpus petition, but to be candid, we are focused on our bail application for now,” he said.

Tacardon said their application for bail may be resolved in the next two months.

De Lima, who has been detained since 2017, is accused of conspiring to run an illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary to fund her senatorial campaign. Several witnesses against her have recently recanted.

De Lima was acquitted in one of three cases filed against her. She is still being tried in the two other cases before the Muntinlupa regional trial court.