FILE PHOTO: Senator Manny Pacquiao (left) and Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential bet Manny Pacquiao on Thursday said that his opinions on the case of detained Senator Leila De Lima were worthless and that only the court could determine her guilt or innocence.
“Ako wala naman akong personal sa aking kasama si Senator Leila De Lima. Ang gusto ko nga mapabilis ang trial, kawawa naman siya kung hindi totoo ang mga paratang sa kanya. eh matagal na siya sa kulungan,” the senator said in a statement.
(I have nothing personal against my colleague Senator Leila De Lima. What I really want is to speed up the trial, it is unfortunate if the allegations against her are not true. She’s been in jail for a long time.)
“Talking about evidence, hindi natin kailangan pakialaman kasi ang mga abugado ang nakakaalam niyan. Gusto ko ipa-expedite na lang trial. Kasi kung hindi talaga totoo, eh ilan taon na ang binuno niya sa kulungan,” he added.
(Talking about evidence, we don’t need to interfere because it’s the lawyers who know things about that. I just want to expedite the trial. Because if it’s not really true, she’s been in prison for several years.)
During the second presidential debate hosted by the Commission on Elections last April 3, Pacquiao claimed that he was able to talk to de Lima’s former driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, who allegedly told him about transporting drug money.
Pacquiao maintained that during the debate, he was merely relaying what Dayan told him and that “ultimately it is the court that would decide on her fate.”
“Sa totoo lang naawa rin ako sa kanya. Gusto ko nga pabilisin ang kaso kasi matagal na. Pero ang problema ng judicial system natin dito, talagang mabagal. Dahil kulang sa budget at kulang sa mga husgado,” the world boxing champion-turned-politican pointed out.
(I honestly feel sorry for her, too. I actually want to speed up the case because it’s been a long time. But the problem of our judicial system here is, that it’s really slow. Because of inadequate budget and lack of courts.)
“Wala naman akong intensyon na saktan. Ang sinabi ko walang dagdag, walang kulang, iyong sinabi lang sa akin. Iyon lang naman ang sinabi ko,” he added.
(I have no intention of hurting anyone. What I said was nothing more and nothing less than what I was told. That’s all I said.)
On April 4, a day after Pacquiao’s remarks during the debate, Dayan, through his counsel, filed a manifestation before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branches 204 and 256, emphasizing that “any statements” that Dayan gave to Pacquaio or during a Senate probe on the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa were made “under duress and without the benefit of counsel of his choice.”
READ: De Lima’s ex-driver belies transporting drug money: Remarks to Pacquiao made ‘under duress’
Lawyer Haidee Soriano also noted that her client Dayan had already “repeatedly denied” in his counter-affidavits that he was involved in the illegal drug trade, including receiving money sourced from the drug trade.
“This manifestation is being filed to set the record straight before the Honorable Court, considering the highly prejudicial nature of the public statement made by a very prominent and famous public figure on the determination of the accused’s guilt or innocence in a trial that is still pending before the Honorable Court,” Soriano said in the manifestation.
During the Comelec-hosted debate, Pacquiao and another presidential candidate, Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso vowed to grant de Lima her right to defend herself in court while labor leader Leody de Guzman, also a contender in the 200 presidential race, pledged to free de Lima.
READ: Should De Lima be tried or released? 3 prexy bets weigh in
De Lima has been in detention at Camp Crame in Quezon City since February 24, 2017. De Lima has repeatedly declared that the drug charges lodged against her were all “trumped up.”
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