De Lima's camp to file petition for her to join sorties, miting de avance ahead of Eleksyon 2022

The camp of detained senator Leila de Lima on Sunday said they will file a petition for authorities to allow her to join campaign sorties or miting de avance before the May 9 polls, despite the restrictions put in place against her.

“Meron pong ganyan na pinag-aaralan ang aming legal team. I think it will be filed very, very soon para man lang makasali siya sa last leg [ng campaign] o at least sa miting de avance,” Atty. Fhilip Sawali, de Lima’s chief of staff, said during Vice President Leni Robredo's weekly radio program.

(Our legal team is studying that possibility. I think it will be filed very, very soon so she can at least join the last leg [of the campaign] or at least the miting de avance.)

However, considering the decision of a local court to reject de Lima’s earlier motion to join the Commission on Elections (Comelec's) e-rally, Sawali expressed that they are not confident that such a petition will still be granted.

“We’re not too hopeful, malungkot man pong aminin. Given the pattern of decision-making ng mga authorities natin kay Senator Leila de Lima, ay hindi po kami talaga confident na makukuha ‘yun,” he said.

(It’s sad to admit but we’re not too hopeful. Given the pattern of decision-making by our authorities on Senator Leila de Lima, we are not really confident that we will get their permission.)

De Lima, a reelectionist in the May 2022 polls under Robredo's Senate slate, previously stressed that prohibiting her from joining the Comelec’s e-rally through videoconferencing on February 26 “stripped her off of her right to communicate her platform to the Filipino public.”

The Comelec e-rally channel on Facebook grants online airtime to candidates for president, vice president, senator and party-list groups ranging from three to 10 minutes.

Sawali added that de Lima’s petitions to join senatorial candidates’ online forum and debates were also denied.

Media interviews in prison were allowed, but were only limited to note taking without video, voice recording, and photos allowed.

Sawali also pointed out the “weird and scandalous” instance wherein convicted kidnapper retired general Jovito Palparan appeared in a television interview by Quiboloy-led broadcaster SMNI.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Saturday that the Bureau of Corrections is scheduled to submit its report on whether or not prison rules were breached due to this.

Despite the campaign hindrances, Sawali said they remain optimistic that authorities will let de Lima vote on Election Day as she was able to do so in the 2019 elections. 

“I think na-file na ‘yung motion na ‘yan and we’re hoping naman na mapagbigyan ng korte, makaboto man lang personally sa kanyang presinto si Senator Leila de Lima,” he added.

(I think that motion has already been filed and we’re hoping that the court will grant it and at least let Senator Leila de Lima vote personally in her precinct.)

De Lima, a former Justice secretary and a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained since February 2017 at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame due to drug-related charges.

A drug case against her was junked by a Muntinlupa City court. She has also repeatedly denied involvement in the illegal drug trade.

De Lima earlier said she wants to restore justice in the next administration, adding that her detention had made her even stronger. —KG, GMA News