Palace maintains De Lima accorded due process

Detained Senator Leila de Lima has been accorded due process in all stages of her criminal prosecution,  the Palace said Tuesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar issued the statement in response to De Lima reiterating that drug charges filed against her are meant to persecute her over her criticisms of the government's drug war that killed around 6,000 suspects based on police records.

"While we respect the opinions of the presidentiables who gave their stance on Senator de Lima's detention, we have to underscore that the senator has been accorded due process in all stages of her criminal prosecution," he said.

De Lima made the remarks after presidential candidates were asked about their position on her pending drug charges during the second round of the Commission on Elections-sanctioned presidential debate.

Andanar said De Lima's remarks were meant to woo voters to her side since she is seeking reelection.

"Senator Leila de Lima's latest remarks are spoken in the middle of the campaign season. It is therefore understandable that she wants to get the sympathy vote from the Filipino electorate," he said.

"The rule of law, as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on numerous occasions, must always prevail," he added.

De Lima has been held at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Quezon City since February 2017 for alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison during her tenure as justice secretary.

She has consistently denied the allegations, arguing that these were made up by the Duterte administration.

Since then, one the of three drug-related charges leveled against her has been dismissed by the court due to lack of evidence.—AOL, GMA News