De Lima moves for bail in 3rd of 3 drug cases

Senator Leila de Lima has moved to be granted bail in the third of three drug-related cases filed against her.

Like in her first two motions for bail, De Lima, through her lawyers, said the prosecution has presented "mostly inadmissible, incredible, contradictory, and insufficient evidence" to prove the allegations against her.

The senator's lawyers said prosecutors have presented only five witnesses — most of them inmates at the New Bilibid Prison — after nearly four years of trial.

They added that De Lima's detention has hindered her from performing official duties as senator since 2017.

"This is a disservice to the Filipino People who gave her the mandate to represent them in the Senate, especially during these trying times," De Lima's lawyers said.

De Lima is accused of agreeing with corrections officials and inmates to commit illegal drug trading in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) from 2013 to 2015, when she was secretary of justice. Prosecutors alleged De Lima and her co-accused received P70 million in drug trade proceeds.

De Lima denies the charges, and her lawyers said the prosecution failed to show evidence of the supposed conspiracy.

"The records of the case readily disclose that even in the Amended Information itself, it remains unclear when and how exactly Accused De Lima conspired to commit drug trading," they said in the 61-page motion for bail filed with the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court on Monday.

"If she did, it is incumbent upon the Prosecution to have as part of its evidence the object of such trading. The Prosecution cannot just show the existence of drugs and/or illegal drug trading in the NBP and pin all the blame on Accused De Lima," they said.

The lawyers said that testimonies of prosecution witnesses alleged Bilibid convicts gave money for De Lima's senatorial campaign. Even assuming they are true, they said this cannot be said to be related to the crime of drug trading.

They further argued that in drug cases, it is vital for the prosecution to present the drugs themselves but that the prosecution in the De Lima cases has not shown a single gram.

"If the Prosecution does not have any object evidence to prove that illegal drugs were indeed traded to support its accusations of illegal drug trading or conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading, then this case does not fall under RA 9165," the lawyers said, referring to the dangerous drugs law.

De Lima filed her first motion for bail in June, the second in August. —KBK, GMA News