Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. PRIB/ROMEO BUGANTE
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Monday said it is a test for the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to ensure the safety of its staunchest critic, Sen. Leila de Lima, who is currently detained on drug charges.
READ: De Lima arrives at Camp Crame after arrest
“Sen. De Lima is a colleague and she’s entitled to all the protection that our justice system accords to Filipino citizen. We hope she’s accorded due process. We hope her security and safety are assured,” Angara said in a Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum.
“I think it’s a test also for the administration to ensure that she’s safe, because if something happens to her, then who’s the number one suspect? It will appear that there’s an effort to harm her. There’s a lot at stake for everyone here,” Angara added.
De Lima’s allies, including former President Benigno Aquino III, have expressed concern for her safety under the custody of the Philippine National Police, bringing up the murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo inside the police headquarters.
De Lima is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame after she was ordered arrested by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary. She has repeatedly denied all allegations being hurled against her and dismissed them as political vendetta. RAM/rga