De Lima asks court to reconsider her plea to attend son’s graduation

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday asked the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 to reconsider its decision to deny her plea to attend her son’s graduation.

In a motion for reconsideration, De Lima said the arguments of the prosecution in objecting her request “were based on “pure speculations.”

The detained senator said the prosecution “wrongfully assumed” that her mere presence in the graduation ceremony would disrupt the solemnity of the event.

She explained that appropriate measures can be employed to ensure her security at the venue.

The Muntinlupa court earlier agreed with the prosecution that De Lima’s presence in the graduation ceremony of her sone, Vincent Joshua de Lima Bohol at San Beda College Alabang Law School is “not indispensable.”

De Lima cited Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was allowed by the Sandinganbayan to attend his son’s graduation in 2015.

“Judges are not prohibited from exercising a measure of kindness and compassion towards parties to a case,” De Lima said. “And when they so decide to exercise such discretion, this should not be defeated by government objections that are purely based on unfounded speculations.”