Aguirre says he’s 99% certain De Lima won’t be killed inside jail

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II gave a 99 percent assurance that Senator Leila de Lima would not be killed inside jail should she get arrested for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

“Wala naman siguro (I don’t think so). I’m sure 99 percent,” Aguirre told reporters at the Senate when asked about De Lima’s fear that she might become a victim of extrajudicial killings (EJK) if she is placed under a detention cell that is not safe and secured.

“99 percent? May 1 percent pa pala. As I’ve said siguraduhin lang nila ang security ko, yun lang naman talaga ang tanong ko, kasi talaga namang it’s a foregone conclusion na ganyan ang gagawin nila (So there’s a remaining 1 percent. As I’ve said, they better ensure my security, that’s my only question, because really, it’s a foregone conclusion, they they would do it), ” the senator said when sought for comment.

Asked about De Lima’s request for a safe and secured detention cell, Aguirre said: “Definitely, she will be safe kung san man (wherever she would be detained). She will.”

But if De Lima was criticizing the alleged privileges being enjoyed by some high-profile inmates at the AFP’s custodial center in Camp Aguinaldo, then Aguirre wondered why the lady senator would also request something for herself.

“Kung tinitira nya yung pag aircon lamang e dapat hindi rin dapat nyang hilingin para sa kanyang sarili because we have to be pantay pantay (If she is criticizing the air-con units, she should not request it for herself because we have to be fair),” he said.

De Lima said she was already prepared to get arrested and jailed but her only request is that she would be detained in a safe and secured place, noting past cases of inmates who were killed inside detention cells.

READ: De Lima ready with bag of clothes ahead of impending arrest

“Ang pakiusap ko lang po sakali lang po mangyari na, God forbid, yung eventuality na yan, ay sana ilagay naman ako sa isang lugar na magiging safe and secured ako because marami na pong mga nangyayari po pinapatay din sa loob ng selda (My only request, God forbid, if that eventuality happens, I hope I would be placed in a safe and secured area because many have been killed inside the cell). So what’s another EJK (extrajudicial killing)?” she said in an interview on Tuesday. RAM

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