LP senators say filing of charges against De Lima 'illegal'

Senator Leila de Lima's party-mates in the Senate on Friday came to her defense following the filing of drug-related charges against her, describing the filing as illegal as they were not lodged in the proper court, and calling the charges "trumped-up."

"The Sandiganbayan, not the RTC (regional trial court), has jurisdiction over the case as the alleged wrongdoing were supposedly committed when she was Justice Secretary," Senators Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan, all members of the Liberal Party (LP), said in a joint statement.

The statement was issued hours after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed three separate drug cases with Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court against De Lima in connection with her alleged participation in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison during her stint as Justice Secretary.

"We reiterate that an arrest based on trumped-up charges is illegal," the LP senators said, adding an arrest warrant issued against De Lima would be a clear violation of legal proceedings and her Constitutional right to due process.

"Furthermore, Senator De Lima was not able to file her counter-affidavit so we question whatever ruling the Department of Justice issued without hearing her side of the story," the LP senators also said.

De Lima was charged for violation of Section 5 (sale and trading of illegal drugs) in relation to Section 3 (jj), Section 26 (b), and Section 28 (criminal liability of government officials and employees) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

De Lima's co-accused in the three cases  include former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Franklin Bucayu, her former driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, former BuCor officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, Jose Adrian Dera (alleged nephew and close-in security of De Lima), Bucayu's former staff Wilfredo Elly, Presidential Security Group member Joenel Sanchez (De Lima's former security aide), and high profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian.

In its statement, the three senators called for total impartiality on De Lima's case, noting that the neophyte senator has been "pre-judged before any of the charges were filed as no less than the President vowed to destroy her in public and was sure De Lima would land in jail before any case was filed."

De Lima has been a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and his war against illegal drugs, which is blamed for the spate of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the past months. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News