DETAINED Senator Leila de Lima faces arrest over allegations she abetted the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as Justice secretary, her lawyer said on Saturday.
An arrest warrant against De Lima was issued by Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 205 on June 21, 2017. Her co-accused Jose Adrian Dera alias Jad De Vera, was covered by the arrest warrant, her counsel, Alexander Padilla, said.
De Lima’s camp said it would ask the court to recall the arrest order, as it described the case as the “weakest” among the three drug-related cases filed against her by the Department of Justice with the Muntinlupa RTC.
The senator is also facing illegal drug trading cases before Judge Patria Manalastas-de Leon of Branch 206 and Judge Juanita Guerrero of Branch 204, who first ordered the senator’s arrest and detention on Feb. 23.
De Lima is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center inside Camp Crame in Quezon City on charges of drug trafficking.
The Justice department said De Lima had conspired with Dera in committing illegal drug trading when the latter “demanded, solicited and extorted” money and vehicles from Peter Co, a high profile inmate at the national penitentiary.
In his affidavit, Co said that on March 25, 2016, Dera received P2 million out of the P5 million he demanded for the release of Co’s niece Sally, who together with her husband and companions had been detained and threatened to be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Dera also allegedly seized Co’s four vehicles to be used for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.
Co further alleged that Dera got from Sally on March 28, 2016 the additional P3 million he demanded for the former Justice secretary’s election bid.
“Dera denied knowing Senator Leila and there’s clearly no trail of the supposed vehicles and the alleged campaign donation that would have any link to Senator Leila. It’s the weakest case for the prosecution,” Padilla told GMA News Online.
The senator’s camp said Judge Fabros-Corpuz issued the arrest order despite the pendency of their petition before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the first arrest warrant.
The high court had submitted the petition for decision last April after the parties issued their respective memoranda following oral arguments held in March.
De Lima and her former lover were also accused of defying House summons.
