PNP rejects Sotto’s request to allow De Lima to hold hearings while in detention

The Philippine National Police on Wednesday rejected the request of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to allow Senator Leila de Lima to conduct legislative hearings while in police detention on drug-related charges.

"It is with regret that the PNP cannot appropriately act on the matter considering Senator De Lima's status as a detention prisoner with restricted right to exercise profession and hold public office," PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said in his letter to Sotto.

"Consequently, any matter pertaining to requests to exercise her legislative functions as an elected senator and conduct committee hearings for such purpose is a matter for the Court having jurisdiction over her pending case/s to decide," he added.

The letter was released by the Office of Senate President and was received on Wednesday, July 11.

In justifying their move to deny the request of Sotto, Albayalde cited two Supreme Court decisions in his letter to the Senate President, the decision on Trillanes IV versus Pimentel, et al, dated June 27, 2008 and People vs. Jalosjos dated November 16, 200

"[A]ll prisoners whether under preventive detention or serving final sentence cannot practice their profession nor engage in any business occupation, or hold office, elective or appointive, while in detention. This is a necessary consequence of arrest and detention," the SC decision on Trillanes IV versus Pimentel stated as quoted by Albayalde in his letter.

Sotto said he will review his options as there are at least six major bills already passed on third reading by the House of Representatives and now pending before De Lima's committee.

The bills are Public Solicitations Act, Magna Carta of the Poor, Magna Carta of Day Care Workers, Emergency Volunteer Protection Act, Social Welfare and Development Agencies Act, and Rural Employment Assistance Program Act.

"I will have to review my options on how to go about this," he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Request

Sotto made the request after he visited the detained senator at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame through a letter to Albayalde dated July 2, a copy of which was released to the media only on July 6.

In his letter, Sotto urged Albayalde to allow De Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, to conduct hearings inside the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City 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.

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. — with Amita Legaspi/MDM/RSJ, GMA News