De Lima seeks furlough to attend Senate hearing on Kian's killing

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to allow her to attend the Senate's hearing on the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos this Thursday.

De Lima's office said the senator filed an urgent motion for a legislative furlough at the high court at 8:43 a.m.

Senator Panfilo Lacson had announced that the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, which he chairs, will start an inquiry into the killing of Delos Santos and the killings of drug suspects in last week's police operation in Bulacan and Metro Manila.

The inquiry was set on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Aside from Delos Santos, police killed at least 90 people in anti-drug operations in Bulacan, Manila and the Camanava area.

Justifying her request, De Lima said her participation in the inquiry is "consistent" with her mandate as a senator.

"Petitioner De Lima’s present request for legislative furlough is no less significant than the instances provided above as it is for an official function, for a public purpose, for the limited purpose of attending the hearings into the death of Kian Loyd Delos Santos, and once granted, it shall allow her to perform her duties as a member of a co-equal branch," the motion stated.

"Granting her leave like the others is fair and reasonable, considering that the purpose of the furlough is not only for private reasons, but for a specific public purpose, the urgency and gravity of which cannot be overemphasized as it involves the life and death of people."

De Lima also assured the high court that she is not a flight risk.

She said even the SC previously granted the furlough of an accused in other cases for reasons such as the celebration of the birthday of the accused, and the celebration of Christmas and New Year.

In the Sandiganbayan, the senator said the anti-graft court had approved the furlough to allow an accused to attend a relative’s wake and funeral; to allow dental surgery; to  to celebrate Christmas and a relative’s birthday party; to allow the accused to visit a sick relative; and attend the graduation rites of a child.

De Lima is hoping she could attend not only the inquiry on Thursday but also future hearings to be determined by the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee.

The SC is holding its weekly session on Tuesday.

De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police's Custodial Center in Camp Crame on drug-related charges.

She is accused of involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City during her stint as justice secretary. —Virgil Lopez/ALG/KVD, GMA News