Senator Leila De Lima filed for bail after spending three years in jail when the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed three drug cases against her in 2017.
De Lima filed a motion for bail before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205, which is hearing Criminal Case No. 17-166. The case was about the senator’s alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade when she was a Justice secretary.
The senator allegedly conspired with Jose Adrian Dera to conduct illegal drug trade with Dera in March 2016. The case alleged De Lima of asking inmate and drug personality Peter Co to give P3 million and four vehicles that she would use for her senatorial campaign during the May 2016 election.
De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame after she was arrested on February 24, 2017.
“Instead of proving her guilt, the prosecution itself provided strong evidence of accused De Lima’s innocence and the regularity of the performance of her duties as then Secretary of Justice,” her 47-page motion for bail read.
De Lima pointed out that she should be granted bail because the government prosecution’s evidence against her is weak. According to the prosecutors, De Lima ordered Dera to demand money and cars from Co.
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The motion of De Lima’s camp meanwhile said the prosecution “utterly failed to prove the alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading between accused De Lima and Dera.”
She said the evidence against her is hearsay as Co only dealt with Dera and admitted that he never met with nor talked to De Lima. Co said he only dealt with Dera.
The opposition senator told the court that prosecutors were not able to prove her connection with Co’s transaction with Dera.
De Lima’s camp also said Peter Co claimed that the money and vehicles given to Dera were not the senator’s share in the illegal drug trade. They were ransom by his niece, who Dera’s PNP anti-drugs unit kidnapped.
“Despite its numerous witnesses, the prosecution miserably failed to prove a veritable link between accused De Lima and Dera, much less the alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading among De Lima, Dera, and Peter Co,” De Lima said.