Former Senator Leila de Lima is disappointed but hopeful. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Detained former senator Leila de Lima on Thursday expressed disappointment after the Muntinlupa court denied her bail petition.
“I am, of course, disappointed. But with a clean conscience, I cannot and will not lose Hope,” de Lima said in a Twitter post on Thursday.
“I have to remain strong as I’m determined to attain justice and vindication,” the former Justice chief added.
On Wednesday, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 rejected de Lima’s camp’s bail request for conspiracy to commit drug trading involving de Lima, former Bureau of Corrections chief Bucayu, Elli, Sebastian, Dayan, Sanchez, and Dera.
State prosecutors accused de Lima and Bucayu of tolerating the illegal drugs trade inside the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound from May 2013 to May 2015 when she served as the Justice Secretary.
READ: Muntinlupa court denies bail plea of former Senator Leila de Lima
With the denial of the bail plea, de Lima will remain in detention while the proceedings continue.
De Lima said her cap would be filing a motion to reconsider her bail plea.
“The court’s denial of my bail application is most unfortunate.
“My lawyers will be filing an MR to raise the issue on the credibility of the inmate witnesses and their testimonies anew, with the Hope that the judge is not yet closed to the perspective that their word, uncorroborated as they are by more acceptable evidence, is utterly unreliable & therefore completely not credible & unworthy of belief.
“Theirs are blatant lies & ludicrous stories,” de Lima continued.
De Lima has one pending drug case before the Muntinlupa court, as the two other cases have been dismissed.