Duterte not behind De Lima prosecution – Roque 

MANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte had nothing to do with the indictment and prosecution of former senator Leila de Lima on drug charges, according to his former spokesman Harry Roque.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News on Wednesday night, Roque said Duterte had nothing to do with the drug charges filed against De Lima, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame since February 2017.

“From my personal experience, I am telling you, it was not former president Duterte,” Roque said. “A former politician who was a victim of a witch hunt of Leila de Lima was behind her prosecution.”

Dino de Leon, one of the lawyers for De Lima, believed otherwise.

He reiterated that Duterte had a hand in the former senator’s prosecution.

“It is hard to believe what Roque is saying, that Duterte did not have any involvement here,” De Leon said in the same interview.

De Lima is a known critic of Duterte.

Two of the three drug complaints filed against her have been dismissed by the courts.