Minority bloc backs De Lima’s motion for reconsideration

The Senate minority bloc on Sunday backed the call of Senator Leila De Lima for the Supreme Court to reverse its decision affirming her arrest on "fabricated and politically-motivated" charges.

"The minority bloc at the Senate believes the motion of reconsideration filed by Senator Leila De Lima before the Supreme Court must be supported," the minority bloc said in an emailed statement.

The statement came from Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, Francis Pangilinan, and Antonio Trillanes IV.

The statement comes after De Lima on Friday asked the SC to reverse its decision which affirmed her arrest for one of her three-drug related charges, in connection with the supposed proliferation of narcotics inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as Justice Secretary.

"There is a well-founded reason to hear and grant the motion, especially since the 9-6 voting of the magistrates manifests not only the absence of a consensus, but a sharp division among the members of the high court on the nature of the crime," the statement read.

"The case should be revisited as it involved a picture larger than the unjust detention of an irresponsible and vocal critic of the President, but the violation of human rights and debasement of basic freedoms -- which could happen to anybody," it added.

Looking ahead, the lawmakers called on the SC to go above politics and refrain political persecution.

"We hope the magistrates will show that the Supreme Court is above politics and will not be a party to political persecution by the administration," they said. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/LBG, GMA News