Aguirre insists De Lima couldn't leave detention to attend Senate sessions, hearings

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II maintained on Tuesday that Senator Leila De Lima could not participate in Senate sessions and hearings due to her detention over drug charges.

He cited the Supreme Court (SC) ruling in June 2008 which denied Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's plea to overturn the decision of a Makati City court handling his coup d'etat case that junked his plea to be allowed to go to the Senate and attend all official functions of the chamber.

In that decision, the SC dismissed Trillanes' petition due to the "generality and permanence of his requests alone."

Aguirre was reacting to De Lima's motion filed earlier in the day asking the SC to allow her to attend the Senate hearing on Thursday on the killing of teenage student Kian Loyd Delos Santos during police anti-illegal drug operations in Caloocan City on August 16.

Justifying her request, De Lima said her participation in the inquiry is "consistent" with her mandate as a senator.

She also assured the high court that she is not a flight risk and claimed the SC previously granted the furlough of an accused in other cases for reasons such as the celebration of the birthday of the accused, and the celebration of Christmas and New Year.

"Petitioner has, at all times, been respectful of the legal processes, as shown by her diligent availment of permissible legal remedies. She consistently faced the accusations against her in the proper forum, and she has not shown any inclination to proceed otherwise," the motion stated.

De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame over allegations of complicity in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as justice secretary in exchange for poll campaign funds. —KBK, GMA News