After awaiting arrest at Senate, De Lima turns self in to CIDG

As promised, Senator Leila de Lima turned herself in on Friday to authorities, who served the warrant of arrest against her over her alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

From Room 502 of her office at the Senate, De Lima was escorted by Senate Sergeant at Arms Jose Balajadia to agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) led by director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan.

Obusan arrived at the Senate early Friday morning and went directly to Balajadia’s office while some of the arresting team spent the night also in the same office.

De Lima also spent the night at her office where she slept for a few hours.

READ: Agreement: De Lima will be arrested at 10 a.m. Friday

The arrest order, issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court, should have been served to the senator Thursday but she requested that she be allowed to spend the night with her family.

Before 8 p.m. Thursday, De Lima went home but rushed back to the Senate after hearing reports that the CIDG team would serve the arrest warrant at her house in Paranaque City.

De Lima said she was ready to voluntarily surrender but expressed hope that it would be done during daytime because she felt “less safe” if it is done at night.

She said she also chose to be at the Senate when the arrest order is served on her because she did not want her family to see her being arrested at her home.

The senator had repeatedly expressed her readiness to be jailed while denying all allegations hurled at her.

“I have long prepared myself to be the first political prisoner under this regime, because the criminal charges and prosecution are nothing less than a politically motivated act by the Duterte regime to clamp down on any vocal opposition against its support for a policy of EJK in dealing with suspected criminals,” De Lima said when the charges were filed in court last February 17.

“If the loss of my freedom is the price I have to pay for standing up against the butchery of the Duterte regime, then it is a price I am willing to pay. But they are mistaken if they think my fight ends here. It has only begun,” she added. CDG

READ: Arrest warrant out vs De Lima – even before courts hear her plea