Hontiveros urges President Marcos to free De Lima

Senator Risa Hontivers on Monday called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to free former senator Leila de Lima as it is the “legal and moral” thing to do.

The opposition lawmaker made the statement as she recalled the hostage-taking of her political ally inside the Philippine National Police Custodial Center Sunday morning.

“Imagine sa national headquarters sa ating national police posibleng may mangyaring ganito sa kanya. Lagpas na ito sa PNP kaya nananawagan talaga ako sa bagong administrasyon, kay Presidente, na gawin ang moral at legal na tamang gawin at palayain na si Sen Leila,” Hontiveros said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Balita.

(Imagine this happened to her inside the national headquarters of our national police. It is beyond PNP so I ask the new administration, the President, to do the moral and legal thing and free Sen. Leila.)

In a separate television interview, Hontiveros pointed out that De Lima "should not have been in jail in the first place."

"Almost all of the witnesses against her in the cases filed in the previous administration, halos lahat sila nag-recant na ng testimony nila (almost all of them have recanted their testimony). So the case against her is lost and it was not even ever alive from the start. Pero talagang falling by the wayside, I really call on the President to free her," she said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Hontiveros said she is still eyeing to file a resolution seeking an investigation into De Lima’s hostage-taking for the PNP to explain how this kind of “barbaric and despicable” incident can still happen inside a facility that is supposed to have maximum security.

“Posibleng mag-inquire pa rin kami, mag-investigate sa nangyari sa kanya na hindi na ito dapat muling mangyari sa kanya o sa kahit na sinong detainee at 'yun na nga, lagpas pa doon sa anumang paliwanag, findings, recommendations 'di ba dahil ito 'yung huli lamang sa series na hindi makapangyarihang ginagawa sa kanya sa nakaraang kalahating dekada ay dapat na palayin na siya,” Hontiveros said.

(It is still possible that we will conduct an inquiry, investigation on the incident because this should not happen again to her or to any other detainee. Also beyond any explanation, findings, recommendations, it is the latest in the series of unfortunate things that happened to her in the past half decade so she should be freed.)

“Dapat talagang tukuyin sino o sinu-sino ang dapat managot para diyan, kaagad na tukuyin at panagutin sa batas ang lahat ng sangkot sa pangyayaring ito kaya nagdedemand tayo ng paliwanag at masusing imbestigasyon tungkol sa insidenteng ito ng PNP at saka ng DOJ,” she added.

(Those responsible for this incident should be identified and held accountable that's why we demand an explanation and thorough investigation from the PNP and DOJ.)

Hontiveros also wanted the PNP to explain how armed detainees were able to enter De Lima’s cell when her visitors cannot even visit her.

“Kailangan natin ng mga sagot 'di ba napakahirap na dalawin ni Sen Leila ha, kahit noong nakaraang kaarawan niya, kung paanong ang armadong detainee ganoong kadali na lang magkaroon ng access sa kanyang selda na napakalalim sa loob ng PNP national headquarters,” she stressed.

(We need answers because it is so hard to visit Sen Leila even during her birthday so how did an armed detainee able to access her cell which was inside the PNP national headquarters.)

“Ang hirap nga makadalaw ng bisita eh bakit itong tao na ito nakarating sa kanya? Ano bang mga lapses in security ang dapat ma-address? At higit sa lahat nga, sino ang responsable? Deplorable talaga ang breach of duty na ito,” she added.

(It is so hard to visit her so how did this person reach her? What lapses in security should be addressed? And the most important thing, who was responsible? This breach of duty is truly deplorable.)

Meanwhile, former Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon called on the courts handling the drug cases against De Lima to take a second look at the evidence presented so the former senator can be granted bail.

Drilon, a former Justice secretary, explained that bail is only denied if the evidence of guilt is strong.

"In this particular case, the principal [witnesses] have retracted (their statements) and therefore, you can rightfully assert that the evidence of guilt is not that strong and therefore grant bail in order to allow temporary liberty to Senator De Lima," he said in an interview at the Senate.

"But you know, that matter of bail is addressed to the discretion of the judge. So we would ask the judge to take a second look at the evidence," he added.

If the judges are not inclined to grant bail, Drilon said De Lima should at least be allowed to be placed under house arrest.

"If she's inclined not to grant the bail, may we request that Senator De Lima be allowed detention in her residence," he said.

Earlier in the day, De Lima's lawyer Filibon Tacardon said Senator Imee Marcos has told them that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the PNP are offering her home furlough.

Further, Drilon said the PNP should review its detention policy, saying terrorists should not be mixed with other detainees.

"They should review the policy in Camp Crame. The first question I'll raise is, why did they mix these terrorists... Why did they allow them to be detained in a facility where Sen. Leila de Lima is detained?" he asked.

Drilon stressed that even in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, heinous criminals are separated from ordinary persons deprived of liberty.

"Even in Muntinlupa there's a classification. Those who are guilty of heinous crimes, maximum penalty, they’re segregated from the ordinary prisoners and this is a penal rule that is not only followed here but all over the world," he said.

On Sunday, several lawmakers and former politicians also urged the PNP to conduct an investigation into the incident that led to the hostage-taking of De Lima on Sunday morning.

Marcos has ordered the PNP to make sure that no violence will happen again in its facilities after what happened.

The President also said that he will speak to De Lima to check her status.

PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Monday said changes will be implemented in the PNP Custodial Center personnel follow the hostage-taking incident. He has also ordered an in-depth investigation into the incident.—AOL, GMA News