De Lima again refuses to enter plea in drug case

Senator Leila de Lima has again refused to enter a plea in connection with a drug-related case filed against her at a Muntinlupa court.

As a result, it was the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 that entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf at the arraignment held Friday morning.

"How can I plead to something that is bogus, fabricated, trumped-up? I'm not at all recognizing the validity or legitimacy of this trial. I cannot, Your Honor," De Lima was quoted by her staff as saying.

The neophyte lawmaker is accused of conspiring with a number of personalities to commit illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison while she was Secretary of Justice. Crying political persecution, she has consistently denied the charges.

De Lima has earlier been arraigned and stands trial for other drug-related cases filed by the Department of Justice, which amended its original charge of illegal drug trading to conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.

Despite De Lima’s opposition, the court admitted the amended charge. Branch 205 Judge Liezel Aquiatan has taken over the case after Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz was designated to another court.

A staunch critic of the Duterte administration, De Lima has been detained since February 2017.

Witnesses

After the court hearing, De Lima's lawyer, Filibon Tacardon, said former President Benigno Aquino III has been listed as a witness for the senator.

"We want to present him to prove na at all times material sa kaso na 'to, there was no issue or even a rumor that would involve Senator De Lima sa drug trading," Tacardon told reporters.

"Because if he knows, kung meron talagang ganyan, he would have taken action against the secretary. So we intend to present him as a character witness," he said.

The defense also wants former Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa to explain his supposed statements in connection with the alleged pressuring of inmate-witnesses to testify against De Lima, her lawyer said.

The names of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam, former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio were also floated.

"According to Senator De Lima, as early as July 2016, nabalitaan niya na 'yung mga taong gustong mag-implicate sa kanya sa drug trade. And apparently, these people are responsible for it," Tacardon said. —KBK, GMA News