Lacson: Senate should keep hands off on De Lima’s drug cases

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday said the Senate should keep its hands off on Senator Leila de Lima’s drug cases.

Lacson made the statement after Senator Antonio Trillanes IV urged his colleagues to “do the right thing” by calling for De Lima’s release from detention.

“We should all understand and respect our criminal justice system. The Senate cannot and will not interfere with the courts that have jurisdiction over Sen. De Lima's drug cases,” Lacson said.

“Having said that, the judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches. The same goes true, and even worse, in the case of foreign organizations and groups that are calling for her immediate release,” he added.

Lacson said international groups “have no business in arrogantly asking our President to release Sen. De Lima.” “That's totally uncalled for,” he said.

The European Union, Inter-Parliamentary Union, and International Commission Jurists, are among the groups which have separately called for De Lima’s release.

Earlier this week, Trillanes said the Senate should correct whatever the Duterte administration did against De Lima, saying the charges she is being accused of is a “clear case of political persecution.”

“Gaya nating lahat, hindi perpekto si Sen. De Lima pero alam natin, deep in our hearts, na hindi siya involved sa illegal drugs at lalo nang hindi siya drug queen. Hindi po siya criminal para tratuhin na parang isang criminal,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes also called on the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee chaired by Lacson to conduct an inquiry on the allegations of drug lords against De Lima.

De Lima has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame since February over allegations that she was involved in the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary.

Trillanes said summoning drug personalities to a Senate probe is necessary to prove that the Duterte administration coerced them to concoct stories against a political opponent. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News