Solicitor General Jose Calida. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
BAGUIO CITY–Calling Senator Leila De Lima desperate, Solicitor General Jose C. Calida said she is already resorting to ‘ad hominem’ attacks to win her case at the Supreme Court.
In her memorandum, De Lima accused Calida of soliciting convicted car thief Jaybee Sebastian’s testimony against her in exchange for his transfer to the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison.
READ: De Lima camp: SolGen offered deal to Jaybee Sebastian
“Senator De Lima can do better than that,” Calida said. “There is no truth to her allegations. Her absurd theories are desperate and futile attempts to veer the issue away from her involvement in narco-politics.”
“Senator Leila De Lima’s case is not tainted with any element of political persecution,” the solicitor general said. “The charges against her only manifest the government’s political will to go against narco-politicians regardless of rank and stature,” Calida added in a statement.
READ: SC justices to SolGen: Is De Lima being singled out by Duterte?
De Lima, in her memorandum, reasoned that the government failed to present vital evidence against one accused of drug trade which are the drugs.
The Senator’s camp pointed out that the government only based the case filed against her on testimonies of convicts inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) who were disqualified to be state witnesses and were probably driven by a personal motive following the raid she ordered on December 2015.
Aside from Sebastian, other witnesses against De Lima include Jaime Patio, Noel Martinez, Rodolfo Magleo, all convicted of kidnapping for ransom; Nonilo Arile, murder; Jojo Baligad, homicide; Herbert Colanggo, robbery; Engelberto Durano, murder and frustrated murder; Hans Anton Tan, robbery with murder; Peter Co and Vicente Sy, violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
During the oral arguments, Calida said the government has the discretion to determine who should be its witnesses.
“This is an admission that their witnesses are statutorily disqualified. With due respect, the Honorable Court must not sanction this kind of advocacy of lawlessness,” Hilbay said.
He added that the convicts were not included as co-accused of De LIma despite admitting their participation to the drug trade.
On the other hand, the government’s memorandum submitted to the Supreme Court is silent on this issue raised by De Lima camp. IDL