NO destabilization plan against the government of President Rodrigo Duterte was discussed when four of her colleagues from the Senate Minority Bloc visited her at the detention facility inside Camp Crame in Quezon City, Senator Leila De Lima said.
De Lima is detained at the PNP Custodial Center on allegations of involvement in the illicit drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.
The neophyte senator was accused of receiving drug money from detained drug lords at the Muntinlupa penitentiary to bankroll her senatorial bid in May elections last year.
De Lima has maintained her innocence and insisted the drug charges were fabricated as President Duterte vowed to destroy her for investigating him on extrajudicial killings in his drug war and summary executions by the Davao Death Squad when he was Davao City mayor.
“Absolutely no destab plan was tackled as there is no such thing. Sorry to disappoint the paranoids among the Duterte sycophants…” De Lima said in a handwritten statement sent to reporters.
De Lima said she and her visitors—Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV—talked about various matters, “from serious stuff, to mundane and funny ones.”
“Of course, the first thing they asked is how am I doing, I didn’t have to reply to that. That I appear relaxed and stress-free is quite self-evident to them. And I’m sure my new hairdo (very short and with striking, if not shocking color) did not escape their attention. They’re just too nice to make any comment,” said De Lima.
She also related that it was not the first time the four senators saw her in jail. She said each of them had visited her before.
De Lima also said they tackled the legislative agenda of the Senate Minority group in the last five weeks of session before Congress adjourns its first regular session on June 2.