Pacquiao says he’d follow due process in freeing De Lima if elected

Presidential hopeful Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday said he would follow the due process of the law in the case of detained Senator Leila De Lima.

"If there's a case, then sunod tayo sa batas, may due process tayo [we will follow the law, there is a due process]," Pacquiao said at a media briefing at the Farmer's Market in Quezon City.

"Pabilisin natin 'yung trials para makalaya. Pangit naman na palayain [siya] tapos hindi pa tapos 'yung kaso," he added.

(Let's speed up the trials to get her free. But it's not good to release her despite her pending cases.)

If elected president, Pacquiao vowed to reform the country's judicial system.

He said he would also allow the possibility of house arrest for De Lima.

"'Yung house arrest kung may precedent na 'yan sa nakaraan, bakit hindi? 'Pag may dahilan bakit hindi natin bigyan?"

(If there was a precedent of house arrest in the past, why not? If there’s a reason, why wouldn't we give it to her?)

Pacquiao made the statement as the Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged presidential candidates in Eleksyon 2022 to pledge to drop all charges against de Lima, noting that it exemplifies the “lawlessness and cruelty” of the current administration.

De Lima, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, has been held at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Quezon City since February 2017, accused of allowing the illegal drug trade to flourish within the New Bilibid Prison during her tenure as justice secretary. She has denied the allegations. — BM, GMA News