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De Lima asks court to reconsider decision barring her from joining virtual Senate hearings
By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS, GMA News Senator Leila de Lima has asked a Muntinlupa court to reconsider its decision disallowing her from participating in virtual Senate proceedings.
In a motion for reconsideration, the detained senator said there is "no legal reason and basis" why she cannot join Senate hearings via teleconferencing as long as her participation does not violate the conditions of her detention.
The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 recently rejected the senator's motion to be allowed to join virtual Senate proceedings, saying that letting her do so is "no different from allowing her to attend there physically."
While Senate rules allow for teleconference hearings in case of force majeure or emergencies, the court said De Lima's detention is not a force majeure.
In her new motion, De Lima argued that there is a difference between joining Senate proceedings virtually and physically. She also said she seeks to participate only as long as the teleconferencing facility is available to senators.
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De Lima through her lawyers said she "remains to be a senator regardless of the present criminal cases filed against her" and that she continues to perform her functions within the conditions of her status as a detention prisoner.
"There is no reason why Senate rules that would aid and benefit her in performing these functions and availing of these prerogatives should not be applied to her," her motion states.
"If all Senators are given the option to participate in Senate sessions and committee hearings via teleconferencing, there is no legal reason and basis why the same option cannot be availed of by [De Lima], again, so long as they do not violate the conditions of her detention," it adds.
She said her use of communication devices to be able to participate in the hearings will be supervised by her police custodians. She said the teleconferencing system will not be for her personal use.
De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City for more than three years over charges of her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade when she was secretary of justice.
The senator has repeatedly denied the allegations.—AOL, GMA News