PNP consulting with lawyers on Sotto's request to allow De Lima to hold hearings

The Philippine National Police on Friday said it is still consulting with its lawyers regarding the request of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to allow Senate Leila De Lima to conduct hearings while in police detention on drug-related charges.

"We acknowledged receipt of the letter of Senate President Vicente C Sotto III requesting the PNP to allow detained Sen. Leila De Lima to exercise her functions to conduct hearings of her Committee inside the premises of the PNP Custodial Center," PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr. said in a statement.

"We are already preparing a response to Sen. Sotto's letter in consultations with our PNP lawyers...We took note of the desire of the Senate President that relevant bills under the Committee of Sen. De Lima be heard and deliberated inside a custodial facility with due considerations to its security implications and in deference to the relevant court," he added.

Sotto made the request through a letter dated July 2 addressed to PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, a copy of which was released to the media on Friday.

In his letter, Sotto urged Albayalde to allow De Lima, chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, to conduct hearings inside the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame on bills referred to her committee.

“As the Senate President, I am giving Senator De Lima full authority to discharge her duties as chair of the committee, particularly to conduct and personally preside over its hearings—similar to what had been done by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV during his detention,” Sotto said.

“This request is being made so as the relevant measures that are currently pending in the committee will be given opportunity to be heard and be deliberated on by the Philippine Senate, consistent with Section 24 of the Senate Rules,” he added.

Sotto assured Albayalde that during the conduct of the hearings, the Senate contingent will abide by the PNP’s internal rules and regulations and arrangements will be made prior to the conduct of the hearing.

De Lima has been detained since February last year on allegations she allowed the illegal drug trade to proliferate inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary in exchange for funds for her senatorial campaign in 2016.

She has repeatedly denied the accusation and accused the Duterte administration of political persecution.

De Lima is a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. —KBK, GMA News